Unit 7 Vocab Flashcards
Immunology
How our body fights off pathogens
Pathogen
A disease-causing agent
Infection
When the pathogen successfully invades the host
Spread of disease
AKA transmission: By water/food, air, physical contact, bodily fluids, and insect/animal bites.
Nonspecific defenses
The first line of defense. Skin, snot, tears/saliva (enzymes), acidic secretions, salt, wax, symbiotic bacteria (normal flora).
Interferon
2nd line of defense. Released by host cells; interfere with viral reproduction in neighboring cells.
Complement system
2nd line of defense. Proteins from the white blood cells latch onto pathogens’ cell membranes, punching holes in them.
Inflammatory response
2nd line of defense. If it penetrates skin, redness, warmth, and swelling occur.
Histamine
The chemical that starts the inflammatory response.
Antigen
Inherited protein markers found in cell membranes that are unique to the organisms. This is how WBCs identify intruders. They ignore the body’s own antigens.
Immune response
3rd line of defense. Occurs when a pathogen takes hold. Helper T cells recognize the foreign antigens and attack them.
White blood cell- Helper T cell
Helper T cells recognize the foreign antigens and engulf them. They then let the other WBCs know: They release interleukins 1 + 2 to chemically attract more WBCs to site of infection.
WBC- Cytotoxic T cell
Killers called in by interleukins. They release proteins that punch holes in and kill infected cells.
WBC- B cell
Produces anitbodies.
WBC- Phagocyte
Engulfs agglutinated antigen/antibody cells. Shows up during inflammatory response.
WBC- Suppressor T cell
They stop the release of histamines, decrease the WBCs’ presence in the site of infection, and finish off the process.
Interleukin 1 and 2
Released by Helper T cells: Chemically attract WBCs to the site of the infection
Antibody
Proteins produced by B cells that are a perfect match fort an antigen. When antigens and antibodies combine, the cell agglutinates.
Agglutination
Clots, cell dies.
Allergy
An immune response to a non-pathogen. Includes swelling, redness, and temperature increase.
Autoimmune disease
When the Helper T cells don’t recognize the body’s own antigens and attack them.
Vaccine
Weakened or killed pathogens or chemicals produced by microorganisms that is injected into or swallowed by an organism, causing the organism to make the necessary antibodies to fight off the pathogen when they actually get infected with it.
Prions
A protein fragment that causes disease
Cocci
Spherical-shaped bacteria
Bacilli
Hot dog/rod-shaped bacteria
Spirilla
Spiral-shaped bacteria
Staphylo-
Cocci/spherical bacteria that come in big clusters, causes staph infections. Faculative anaerobes.
Strepto-
Cocci bacteria that come in chains. They are obligate aerobes.
Diplo-
Come in pairs of cocci.
Binary fission
Asexual reproduction in bacteria. The cell makes a copy of its DNA and splits into two cells. There is no genetic variation, which means that the clones are likely to die off from an antibiotic.
Conjugation
Sexual reproduction in bacteria. DNA is exchanged: The smaller of the two chromosomes moves to the other bacteria cell. The bacteria form a conjugation bridge to do this and absorb DNA. This creates genetic variation and makes it harder for the antibiotic to kill the bacteria.
Pyrogen
A substance, typically produced by a bacterium, which produces fever when introduced or released into the blood.
Active immunity
Immunity that is picked up during life, typically through vaccines or infections.
Passive immunity
Immunity that is passed down from your mother. Ex. lactation, pregnancy.
Chemotrophic
Obtains energy through chemosynthesis.
Phototrophic
Obtains energy through photosynthesis.
Toxin
Bacterial waste
Endospore
A bacterial cell that has shrunk and lost water and formed a hard outer layer in order to survive harsh conditions. It’s like hibernation. Some endospores can survive space.
Heterotroph
Finds its food.
Autotroph
Makes its own food.
Obligate anaerobe
Needs to live in an environment without oxygen.
Obligate aerobe
Needs to live with oxygen.
Facultative anaerobe
Can live with or without oxygen.
Controlling bacteria and avoiding dangerous types
Use proper temperature (cooking thoroughly, heating and cooling appropriately), washing hands, cleaning surfaces,, canning food, refrigeration, freezing, preservatives (salt, vinegar, sugar, chemicals), antiseptics (alcohol and bleach), radiation.
Helpful roles of bacteria
Decomposers, nitrogen fixation, fermentation, genetic engineering, digestion, mining, prevents pathogenic invasion, makes O2, bioremediation, antibiotics.
Virus
A nucleic acid surrounded by a protein capsule.
Viral life cycle- lytic
Attachment: The virus attaches to the host cell. Then it injects its own DNA into the cell. Duplication: The viral phages/chromosome duplicates. Release: The host cell wall ruptures, or lyses, releasing new viral particles called phages. These can infect new cells now.
Viral life cycle- lysogenic
Attachment/injection: virus attaches and injects its DNA into the cell. Incorporation: viral DNA is added to the cell’s DNA. The cell splits. multiplying the viral DNA, during mitosis.
Retrovirus
A virus containing RNA, which must convert RNA to DNA once inside host cell.
Controlling bacteria
Use proper temperature (cooking thoroughly, heating and cooling appropriately), washing hands, cleaning surfaces,, canning food, refrigeration, freezing, preservatives (salt, vinegar, sugar, chemicals), antiseptics (alcohol and bleach), radiation.
Roles of bacteria
Decomposers, nitrogen fixation, fermentation, genetic engineering, digestion, mining, prevents pathogenic invasion, makes O2, bioremediation, antibiotics.
