Unit 4: AOS 1: Glossary Flashcards
What is disease?
any condition that affects the normal function of either a part of an organism or the complete organism
What are non-infectious/non-communicable disease?
a disease that cannot be transmitted from one organism to another
What are infectious/communicable diseases?
a disease that can be transmitted from one organism to another
What are pathogen?
a disease-causing agent
What are Epidemic?
the rapid spread of an infectious disease to a large number of people within a population
What is a pandemic?
an outbreak of infectious disease that occurs over a wide geographical area, affecting a large number of people
What is a host?
an organism that has been infected by a pathogen
What is a vector?
a living organism that carriers and transmits a pathogen from one organism to another
What is an antigen?
a unique marker on the surface of cells or viruses that is used in the identification of self from non-self
What is a a self-antigen?
an antigen on the surface of cells of an organism that is identified by the immune system as belonging to the organism and therefore does not trigger an immune response
What is a non-self antigen?
A non-self antigen is an antigen on the surface of cells of an organism that is identified by the immune system as foreign to the organism and triggers an immune response when detected
What are the MHC (major histocompatibility complex) marker?
a protein that is found on the cells and is used in the identification of pathogens in the immune response
What is Epitope?
the specific region of an antigen that is recognised by the immune system
What is the MHC class I marker?
a type of protein marker on the surface of all nucleated cells that assists in the identification of self from non-self
What is the MHC class II marker?
a type of protein marker on antigen - presenting white blood cells that is used in the activation of a specific immune response
What is a antigen-presenting cell (APC)?
a specific type of white blood cell that uses phagocytosis to engulf a pathogen before displaying peptide fragments (epitopes) on its MHC class II markers for detection by white blood cells
What is a allergen?
any substance that causes an allergic reaction
What is a cellular pathogen?
living organism that causes disease within a host
What is a bacteria?
unicellular, prokaryotic organisms that lack membrane-bound organelles
What are fungi?
a wide variety of eukaryotic organism that include mushrooms, mould and yeast
What is Protozoa?
unicellular, eukaryotic organisms that belong to the kingdom Protista; singular protozoan
What is Malaria?
a serious disease caused by the Plasmodium protozoan, which invades red blood cells when transmitted by mosquito vectors into the host
What is Endemic?
the usual area where an organism is found
What is a non-cellular pathogen?
a disease-causing agent that lacks cellular structures and cannot replicate outside a host cell
What is a virus?
a non-cellular pathogen that causes disease by taking over host cell machinery to rapidly produce identical virus copies, which further infect host cells, disrupting normal cellular function
What is a Virion?
a single virus particle existing outside a host cell
What is a capsid?
protective protein coat that surrounds the genetic material of a virion
What is a viral envelope?
the lipid-based, outermost layer of the capsid on some types of viruses
What is a dormant?
when a virus is present within the host but is inactive and therefore not currently causing symptoms associated with the disease
When was the Epidemiology?
a branch of medicine based on the study of disease distribution and control
What is Bacteriophage?
a virus that specifically infects bacteria
What is Prion?
a pathogenic protein with a mutant structure that can trigger normal proteins to fold abnormally, resulting in disease
What is PrPc?
normal form of the protein associated with prions
What is PrPsc?
disease-causing mutant prion
What is a innate response?
a non-specific defence against a pathogen
what is the first line of defence?
the first innate response; consists of physical, chemical and microbiota barriers
What is normal flora?
naturally occurring microorganisms that live in or on animals and plants and do not cause harm or an immune response
What are pathogenic bacteria?
bacteria that cause harm and an immune response
What is an inflammatory response?
heat, pain, redness, swelling and loss of function as part of the innate immune response to harmful stimuli
What is a mast cell?
white blood cell involved in inflammatory response, releasing histamine, triggering inflammation
What is Histamine?
compound released by cells to start an inflammatory response
What is Macrophage?
large white blood cell that carries out phagocytosis and may act as an antigen-presenting cell
What is Cytokines?
compounds released by cells as chemical signals to other cells
What is Neutrophil?
white blood cell that carries out phagocytosis and skills pathogens with defensins
what is a dendritic cell?
white blood cell with many folds and projections in its membrane, carries out phagocytosis and acts as an antigen-presenting cell to the adaptive immune system
What is a natural Killer (NK) cell?
white blood cell involved in innate immune response; kill infected host cells and cancer cells
What is perforin?
a protein that kills cells by making holes in their plasma membrane
What is Eosinophil?
white blood cell that targets parasites
What is Phagocytosis?
a type of endocytosis in which a solid substance enters a cell via vesicle mediated transport
Whar is a Phagosome?
a vesicle that engulfs a pathogen during phagocytosis
What is an antigen-presenting cell (APC)?
a specific type of white blood cell that uses Phagocytosis to engulf a pathogen
What is apoptosis?
death and disintegration of a cell through a controlled process
What is Lysis?
breakdown of the cell membrane
What is vasodilation
the widening of a blood vessel (especially capillaries), and to increase blood flow
What is a fever?
a rise in body temperature caused by infection
What is a lymphocyte?
a type of white blood cell; includes B and T cells
what is the adaptive immune response?
responses of the vertebrate immune system to a specific antigen, which typically results in immunological memory
What is the interstitial fluid?
fluid that collects in spaces between cells and tissues
What is lymph?
colourless fluid that flows through the lymphatic system
What is the lymphoid organ?
organ involved in the production or function of lyphocytes
What is immunological memory?
the ability of the immune system to quickly and specifically recognise an antigen that the body has previously encountered and initiate a corresponding immune response
what does the clonal selection theory?
the scientific theory that a specific antigen activates a specific lymphocyte that has a complementary receptor
What does naive mean?
not yet activated
what is an antibody?
a protein that has a Y shape containing two identical arms with antigen-binding site specific to a antigen (for allergen); also referred to as immuno-globulins (Ig)
What is clonal expansion?
the proliferation of a lymphocyte that has been selected by an antigen
What is the effector cell?
a cell that has been activated to perform its role
What is active immunity?
when an individual’s adaptive immune response is activated
What is passive immunity?
short-term immunity resulting from a person receiving antibodies from another person or animal; no memory
What is vaccination?
the administration of a vaccine to cause an adaptive immune response
What is a vaccine?
substance that contains an agent (usually an antigen or an attenuated version of the pathogen) that will induce an adaptive immune response when adminsitered
What is attenuated?
describes a pathogen that has been altered to remove its harmfulness
What is herd immunity?
when a large percentage of a population is immune to a disease (through vaccination), slowing the spread of the disease and protecting those who are not immune
What is infection?
when a pathogen has breached the first line of defence and begun to replicate
What is Virulence?
how likely a pathogen is to cause harm/disease
What is Contagious?
describes a pathogen that is able to spread from an infected person to others
What is fatality?
the occurrence of death
What is an Epidemiologist?
professional who studies the occurrence of disease in a population
What is infectious mean?
able to be transmitted between hosts
What does the emerging infectious disease?
a disease not yet seen in people, or a disease that is increasing in incidence or geographical range
What does re-emerging infectious disease?
a disease that appears again after having previously been eliminated
What is the indirect transmission?
transmission of a pathogen from a location where it has been away from its host for a long term
What is selection pressure?
the conditions or factors that influence allele frequencies in population by contributing to the selection of which phenotype survive in a given environment e.g availability of resources environmental conditions, predators and disease
What is a reservoir?
Original or usual site of a disease in relation to its spread
What is a transmission?
how a pathogen is passed between hosts
What is immunotherapy?
a treatment that uses activation or suppression of the immune system
What is the Monoclonal antibody (mAb)?
antibody made a cloning a unique parent immune cell, produced in large quantities in the laboratory as a drug targeting specific cells or substance
What is a Bispecific monoclonal antibody?
a monoclonal antibody that has two different antigen binding sites
What is a Conjugated monoclonal antibody?
an antibody that has been combined with a radioactive substance or chemotherapy agent (a cytotoxin)
What is a Myeloma cell?
an abnormal plasma cell used in the production of monoclonal antibodies
What is an autoimmune disease?
your immune system fails to recognise self cells and attacks. It causes inflammation
