INFECTION AND RESPONSE - TOPIC 3

Pathogens

Pathogens

Microorganisms like viruses, bacteria, protists, and fungi that cause infectious diseases by infecting plants or animals through direct contact, water, or air.

Viruses

Very small infectious agents that enter cells, replicate using cell biochemistry, and cause cell bursting, releasing copies into the bloodstream.

Bacteria

Small microorganisms that multiply rapidly through binary fission, produce toxins damaging cells, and cause diseases.

Protists

Microorganisms, some parasitic, that use humans and animals as hosts, living on or inside them and causing harm.

Fungi

Organisms with single-celled or hyphae body structures that produce spores for reproduction and can spread to other organisms.

Ways Pathogens Spread

Transmission methods like direct contact (touching contaminated surfaces), waterborne transmission, and airborne transmission (pathogens carried in the air).

Vaccination

Process of injecting harmless pathogens into the body to develop immunity, preventing infections and transmission of diseases.

Antibiotics

Medicines that kill bacterial pathogens without harming body cells, reducing deaths from bacterial diseases but facing challenges like antibiotic resistance.

Monoclonal Antibodies

Identical antibodies produced from the same immune cell, used to target specific proteins or cells in the body for various medical purposes.

Monoclonal Antibodies

Antibodies that target specific antigens on cancer cells, used in cancer treatment.

Tumor Markers

Antigens found on cancer cell membranes, targeted by monoclonal antibodies in cancer treatment.

Plant Pathogens

Viral, bacterial, and fungal agents that cause diseases in plants.

Chlorosis

Yellowing of leaves due to magnesium deficiency affecting chlorophyll production.

Plant Defense Mechanisms

Physical, chemical, and mechanical adaptations that plants use to protect themselves from pathogens and predators.