Microbiology Chapter 18: Cardiovascular and Lymphatic System Infections

These vocabulary flashcards cover the anatomy, defenses, and major infectious diseases associated with the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems as discussed in Chapter 18.

Cardiovascular System

A closed circuit comprising the heart and blood vessels that provides tissues with oxygen and nutrients while removing waste.

Atria

The upper chambers of the heart.

Ventricles

The lower chambers of the heart.

Pericardium

The fibrous covering of the heart and an occasional site of infection.

Endocardium

The innermost layer of the heart that covers the valves and is a frequent target for microbial infection.

Arteries

Blood vessels that transport oxygenated blood away from the heart under high pressure.

Veins

Blood vessels that transport deoxygenated blood back toward the heart.

Capillaries

The smallest blood vessels, consisting of a single layer of endothelium, connecting arterioles to venules.

Lymphatic System

A branching network of vessels and organs, such as the spleen and lymph nodes, that filters impurities and returns fluid to the blood.

Leukocytes

White blood cells that serve as a defense in the blood, typically numbering between $5,000$ and $10,000$ per milliliter.

Bacteremia

The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream.

Septicemia

A condition in which bacteria are actively flourishing and multiplying in the blood.

Septic shock

A dangerous drop in blood pressure resulting from a cascading immune response to a systemic blood infection.

Malaria

A dominant protozoan disease caused by Plasmodium species, characterized by cyclic fever and chills.

Sporozoites

Spindle-shaped asexual cells of the malarial parasite inoculated into the human host by a mosquito bite.

Schizogony

The process of asexual division within liver cells that generates daughter parasites called merozoites.

Hemolytic anemia

A malarial complication resulting from the massive lysis of red blood cells.

Cerebral malaria

A serious complication of Falciparum malaria where small brain vessels become obstructed by adhering red blood cells.

Anopheles

The genus of the female mosquito that serves as the primary vector for transmission of malaria.

HIV

A retrovirus in the genus Lentivirus that causes a spectrum of symptoms by depleting T cells.

Reverse transcriptase

The enzyme used by HIV to catalyze the replication of double-stranded DNA from single-stranded RNA.

AIDS

A clinical diagnosis defined by testing positive for HIV and having a CD4 count below $200$ cells per microliter or experiencing indicator illnesses.

Endocarditis

Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart, most commonly affecting the valves.

Janeway lesions

Painless red skin spots on the palms and soles indicative of endocarditis.

Osler’s nodes

Small, painful nodes found on the pads of fingers and toes in cases of endocarditis.

Bubonic plague

A form of plague where the bacterium Yersinia pestis causes inflammation and necrosis of a lymph node, forming a bubo.

Septicemic plague

A progression of plague involving massive bacterial growth in the blood, leading to subcutaneous hemorrhage and necrosis.

Lyme Disease

A tick-borne illness caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.

Erythema migrans

A bull's-eye shaped rash that appears at the site of a tick bite in approximately $70\%$ of Lyme disease cases.

Infectious Mononucleosis

A lymphatic system disease, often caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, characterized by sore throat, high fever, and fatigue.