immunology
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what is a pathogen?
a disease-causing agent
what makes a pathogen cellular?
-made of cells -able to independently reproduce -able to undertake metabolic processes
examples of cellular pathogens?
bacteria, fungi, parasites
how do bacteria reporduce?
binary fission
how do bacteria cause disease?
bacteria release toxins and these toxins are still present after the bacteria cells die
how do fungi cause disease?
releasing enzymes which break down proteins
what is an antigen?
a unique molecule or part pf a molecule that initiates an immune response
what are antigens are that our body recognise?
self-antigens
what are antigens that our body don’t recognise?
non-self antigens
what is aseptic technique?
aseptic technique is using practices and procedures to prevent contamination from pathogens
what are the phases of the population growth curve?
lag phase, exponential phase, stationary/plateau phase and death phase
what makes a pathogen non-cellular?
-can’t undertake independent metabolic processes -not made of cells -aren’t able to reproduce independently
what is a virus?
-non-cellular pathogens
how do viruses cause disease?
virus cause disease by damaging or destroying host cells
viral replication?
virus invades a host cell, genetic material inserted into host cells DNA, the host cell then will replicate more viral DNA in the nucleus and make new protein coats at the ribosomes and then the new viral particles then burst out of this host cell, destroying it and ready to infect a new one
what is a prion?
-abnormal infectious protein
how do prion cause diseases?
bursting of brain disease causes holes, spread by consuming affected tissues and not destroyed by high heat
how do pathogens work?
-must first enter or be transferred to a host -then they need to reproduce -then they need to have an adverse effect on the host tissue/cell
what barriers do prevent disease?
-physical -chemical -microbiota
physical barriers?
-INTACT skin -hair -mucus -earwax
intact skin?
prevents pathogens from entering the cell
hair?
hairs in both ears and nose trap foreign particles and some invading pathogens
ear wax?
ear wax coats the inner lining of the ear preventing entry of pathogens and trapping foreign particles
mucus?
secreted by goblet cells, traps invading cells and then cilia sweeps mucus with trapped pathogens out of airways