Created by Hannah McDonald
about 8 years ago
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Question | Answer |
Microbe | A single-celled organism that cannot be seen without a microscope |
Bacteria | Prokaryotic organisms |
Virus | An infective agent that typically consists of a celiac acid molecule in a protein coat (capsid) and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host |
Fungi | A diverse group of organisms which have (chitin) cell walls and a nucleus being eukaryotic and live by decomposing and absorbing the organic material in which they grow |
Protozoa | Single-celled organisms that do not fit any of the other classification groups |
Prion | Infectious abnormal proteins defined by their alpha helices and beta pleated sheets |
Pathogen | A disease causing agent |
Parasite | Either live in (endoparasites) or on (exoparasites) organisms to gain nutrients |
Population | The number of one species in a particular area |
Binary Fission | A prokaryotic method of asexual reproduction that involves the splitting of a parent cell into two approximately equal parts |
Colony | A population of bacteria visible on an agar plate |
Aseptic technique | A procedure performed under sterile conditions in order to prevent contamination from microorganisms |
Agar Jelly | A gelatinous material derived from algae, specifically used as a culture medium of bacteria as it contains all of the nutrients bacteria require for growth |
Sigmoidal population curve | A graphical representation of change in population size |
Disease | Any change that impairs the normal function of an individual |
Immunity | The ability to deal with a pathogen before it makes you ill. Immunity may exist naturally or as a result of previous infection |
Innate/non-specific immunity | immune responses that are not specific to a particular pathogen. Includes the first and second defence |
First Line of Defence | Physical and chemical barriers that are always ready and prepared to defend the body from infection |
Barrier | First line of defence-can be physical or chemical |
Mucus | A slippery secretion which lines various body canals and forms a protective barrier between invading microorganisms and your cells by trapping microbes and particles |
Goblet Cells | Cells which line airways and secrete mucus |
Cilia | Specialised cells with tiny hairs that beat to move music up and out of the airways |
Natural Secretions | Secretions of the body capable of killing bacteria such as tears, saliva , stomach acid (hydrochloric acid), milk and semen |
Second Line of Defence | Non-specific immune response when a pathogen has passes the first line of defence and entered the body |
Inflammation | Increased blood flow due to vasodilation of blood vessels, in response to a compromised first lines of defence, leading to increased warmth and swelling |
Vasodilation | Dilating or widening of blood vessels |
Phagocytes | White blood cells that engulf bacteria or infected cells. Neutrophils and macrophages as the main examples of phagocytes |
Phagocytosis | Bulk movement of a solid into a cell through the formation of vesicles e.g. neutrophils engulf bacteria |
Lysosome | A eukaryotic cell organelle (only found in animal cells) which contain hydrolytic enzymes, and fuse with the phagosomes formed by engulfing pathogens in phagocytes, to destroy the pathogens |
Pus | A combination of dead phagocytes, living white blood cells and other cell debris |
Blood Clotting | A cascade process resulting in the formation of fibrin meshwork and entrapment of platelets |
Fibrin | The main protein that forms a fibrous mesh in blood clotting. Fibrin (insoluble) forms from fibrinogen (soluble) as the end of the clotting cascade |
Platelets | Tiny cell fragments that are found within our blood which have the primary responsibility of stopping bleeding when there is an injury to the body |
Specific Immunity | When an antibody has to match a specific antigen deeding on its shape |
Antigen | Specific surface markers on pathogens that can be recognised by white blood cells |
B-lymphocyte | A type of lymphocyte that produce antibodies which are specie and complementary to antigens on pathogens based on shape |
Plasma cells | Formed from the mitotic division of activated B cells-they produce specific and complementary antibodies to the antigen that activated the B-cells |
Memory Cells | Formed from the mitotic division of activated B-cells they remain in the body in case of another infection and divide rapidly to form plasma cells when the first antigen is encountered again |
Primary Immune Response | The first encounter with antigens from a pathogen |
Secondary Immune Response | The second exposure to a particular antigen which is faster and produces larger concentrations of antibodies due to memory cells |
Vaccines | Weekend (attenuated) or dead forms of the pathogen or antigens which aim to mimic the primary immune response to produce memory cells so the body can recognise and produce antibodies more quickly when infected by the actual pathogen |
Acquired Specific Immunity | The resulting immunity from a vaccination |
Variolation | The intentional infection of smallpox to develop acquired specific immunity |
Antibodies | A medicine used to treat bacterial infections |
Antimicrobial Resistance | The ability of microbes to grow in the presence of a chemical (drug) that would normally kill them or limit their growth. Caused by the overuse of antibiotics |
Penicillin | First antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming It prevents the production of a substance that forms the cell wall. This means that the cell continues to grow without dividing or developing a new cell wall. Therefore, it gets weaker and eventually ruptures |
Peptidoglycan | Compound which makes up bacterial cell walls |
Chitin | Compound which makes up fungal cell walls |
Cellulose | Compound which makes up plant cell walls |
Antibiotics | Antibiotics either kill the bacteria or they inhibit the growth of the microorganisms |
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