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LGS A-Level OCR Biology - Unit 4 - Communicable Disease, Disease Prevention and the Immune System Part 1
This flashcard deck covers key concepts from the OCR Biology curriculum on communicable diseases, including the types of pathogens, how they cause disease, and modes of transmission.
Describe what a pathogen is.
Microorganism that causes disease, Lives in hosts
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
Describe what a pathogen is.
Microorganism that causes disease, Lives in hosts
Communicable diseases
Any disease transmitted from one person or animal; contagious
4 groups of microorganisms
Bacteria, Fungi, Viruses, Protoctista
Diseases caused by bacteria
Tuberculosis, Bacterial meningitis, Ring rot in plants
Diseases caused by viruses
HIV/ AIDS, Influenza, Tobacco mosaic virus
Diseases caused by fungi
Black sigatoka, Ringworm, Athletes foot
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Describe what a pathogen is. | Microorganism that causes disease, Lives in hosts |
Communicable diseases | Any disease transmitted from one person or animal; contagious |
4 groups of microorganisms | Bacteria, Fungi, Viruses, Protoctista |
Diseases caused by bacteria | Tuberculosis, Bacterial meningitis, Ring rot in plants |
Diseases caused by viruses | HIV/ AIDS, Influenza, Tobacco mosaic virus |
Diseases caused by fungi | Black sigatoka, Ringworm, Athletes foot |
Diseases caused by protoctista | Malaria, Potato/ tomato blight |
Prokaryotic pathogens | Bacteria |
Eukaryotic pathogens | Fungi |
How do bacteria damage hosts | Multiply rapidly, Damage cells by releasing waste products and/or toxins |
How do fungi damage hosts | Hyphae release extracellular enzymes e.g. celluloses to digest plant tissue, Causes decay and leaf death —> no photosynthesis, May produce toxins |
Are viruses eukaryotic or prokaryotic | Neither; they’re dead |
How do viruses damage hosts | Invade living cells where genetic material in virus takes over the biochemistry of the host cells Makes more copies; Host cell bursts, releasing viruses |
Bacteriophages | Viruses that can attack bacteria |
How do protoctista damage hosts | Enter host cells and feed on contents before breaking over cells |
How may protoctista enter through the body directly | Polluted water |
Transmission | Passing a pathogen from an infected individual to an uninflected individual |
Direct transmission | Passing a pathogen from host to new host, with no intermediary |
Types of direct transmission | Physical contact; Faecal - oral transmission; Droplet infection; Transmission by spores |
Physical contact | Touching an infected person; Touching contaminated surfaces; Exchanging bodily fluids |
Faecal - oral transmission | Eating food or drinking water contaminated by pathogen |
Droplet infection | Pathogens are carried in tiny water droplets in the air |
Transmission by spores | Spores are the resistant stage of some pathogens; Can be carried in the air or reside on surfaces or in the soil |
Indirect transmission | Pathogens are transmitted indirectly via a vector |
Vector | Another organism that may be used by the pathogen to gain entry to the primary host |