Manmade Disease Defenses Flashcards
What happens 1-15 days from exposure to pathogen/antigen?
Immune system has created antibodies slowly, but not that many
What happens 30+ days from exposure to pathogen/antigen?
Immune system has destroyed all pathogens and created memory cells
Memory cells are WBCs that remember the pathogen and how to make the correct antibody
What happens on the second exposure to pathogen/antigen?
- quicker and larger production of antibodies
- probably wouldn’t experience any symptoms
What is immunity?
When memory cells can remember a pathogen and make correct antibodies
What are vaccines?
Injecting dead or inactivated pathogens to stimulate an immune response and create memory cells
What is variolation?
The process of using scab tissue from someone previously infected with a pathogen to prevent people from developing the disease
How did Edward Jenner create the first vaccine?
- used cowpox, a similar virus with same antigens as smallpox to create memory cells which could give immunity to smallpox
Why was Jenner’s vaccine unpopular?
- he had unethical methodology
- previous ‘vaacines’were dangerous
- people didn’t want to be injected with cowpox
What are some issues with vaccines?
- pathogen could mutate, rendering vaccine useless
- not everyone wants to be vaccinated
- possible side effects from immune response such as
• fever and chills
• tiredness
• headache
• muscle and joint aches
• pain, swelling or redness where shot was given
What is herd immunity
Resistance to the spread of an infectious disease within a population that is based on preexisting immunity of a high proportion of individuals as a result of previous infection or vaccination
Benefits and problems of a global vaccination programme?
Benefits
- people are vaccinated
- protects workforce and economy
- provides jobs
- can completely wipe out pathogen
Problems
- global agreement is hard to achieve
- expensive
- slow
- inequality
Define drug
Any chemical that alters how your body works
What are medicines and how do they treat disease?
- useful drugs
- relieve symptoms or treat/care underlying illness, often by destroying pathogen
How do antibiotics prevent bacterial disease?
- by interfering with pathogens metabolism, e.g prevent development of cell wall or block action or ribosomes
OR
- by slowing bacterial growth long enough for immune system to get on top of them
What can antibiotics only damage
BACTERIAL PATHOGENS