AQA GCSE Biology: Infection and Response

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the AQA GCSE topic of infection and response, including pathogens, immune defenses, specific diseases, drug development, monoclonal antibodies, and plant defenses.

Pathogens

Microorganisms that cause infectious disease.

Communicable diseases

Infectious diseases that can be spread between animals and plants.

Bacterial pathogens

Microorganisms that can reproduce rapidly inside the body and may produce toxins that damage tissues.

Viral pathogens

Pathogens that infect and reproduce themselves inside body cells, causing cellular damage.

Cilia

Tiny hairs found alongside mucus in the trachea and bronchi that trap microbes and move them back up and out of the body.

Phagocytosis

The process where a white blood cell moves towards, engulfs or ingests, and digests a pathogen to destroy it.

Antigens

Specific areas on the surface of a microbe or pathogen to which complementary antibodies attach.

Antitoxins

Substances produced by white blood cells that counteract toxins released by bacteria.

Vaccine

An injection containing dead, weakened, or inactive pathogens that stimulates white blood cells to produce antibodies.

Salmonella food poisoning

A bacterial disease spread by eating infected food that causes fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea due to bacterial toxins.

Gonorrhea

A sexually transmitted bacterial disease causing a thick yellow or green discharge from the vagina or penis and pain on urinating.

Measles

A viral disease spread by inhaling droplets from sneezes and coughs, characterized by fever and a red skin rash.

HIV

A viral infection spread by sexual contact or exchange of body fluids that initially causes a flu-like illness and attacks white blood cells.

AIDS

A condition resulting from advanced HIV infection where the immune system can no longer fight infections because white blood cells have been destroyed.

Tobacco mosaic virus

A plant virus spread by contact between plants or leaves that produces a mosaic pattern of discoloration, reducing photosynthesis, sugar production, and growth.

Rose black spot

A fungal plant disease spread by wind or water, causing purple or black spots on leaves that turn yellow and drop off early, limiting photosynthesis and growth.

Malaria

A protist disease spread by mosquitoes that causes recurring fever and can be fatal in extreme circumstances.

Vector

An organism, such as a mosquito, that carries a pathogen and transmits it from person to person.

Antibiotics

Medicines that cure bacterial diseases by killing specific bacterial pathogens without killing viruses.

Painkillers

Medicines that treat the symptoms of an illness, such as headaches or fever, without killing pathogens.

Digitalis

A heart drug traditionally extracted from foxgloves.

Aspirin

A painkiller traditionally extracted from willow trees.

Penicillin

An antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming that comes from Penicillium mold.

Preclinical trials

Laboratory testing of potential new drugs on cells, tissues, or animals to assess safety and toxicity.

Clinical trials

Drug testing performed on healthy volunteers or volunteer patients to assess side effects, determine optimum dose, and verify efficacy.

Placebo

An inactive treatment that looks identical to the drug being tested but does not contain the active drug substance.

Double blind trial

A clinical study in which neither the volunteer patients nor the scientists know who receives the active drug and who receives the placebo.

Peer review

The formal evaluation of scientific trial results by fellow scientists to prevent bias and false claims.

Monoclonal antibodies

Antibodies produced from a single clone of cells that target and bind to one specific protein antigen.

Hybridoma cell

A fused cell created from a mouse lymphocyte and a tumor cell that can divide indefinitely while producing specific antibodies.

Nitrate deficiency

A plant condition causing stunted growth because nitrates are required to make amino acids, which form proteins for plant growth.

Chlorosis

Yellowing of plant leaves caused by magnesium deficiency, as magnesium ions are needed to produce chlorophyll for photosynthesis.

Mimicry

A mechanical defense adaptation where a plant resembles something else to trick animals and keep them away.