Transmission and Host Defenses

Vocabulary flashcards on types of transmission and modes of host defenses.

Types of Carriers

Active, Convalescent, Healthy, Incubatory

Vertical Transmission

Transmission from parent to offspring

Horizontal Transmission

Transmission between individuals of the same generation

Airborne Transmission

Transmission via droplets or dust particles in the air

Contact Transmission

Transmission through direct or indirect contact

Direct Contact Transmission

Physical contact, respiratory/salivary, fecal-oral, venereal, skin

Indirect Contact Transmission

Transmission through fomites (inanimate objects)

Vehicle Transmission

Spread of pathogens through contaminated food or water over long distances

Vector Transmission

Transmission via insects, ticks, or mites (external or internal)

Innate Immunity

Non-specific host defenses including physical, chemical, and cellular components

Physical Defenses

Cell junctions, skin (keratin), endothelia, mucous membranes, microbiome

Chemical Defenses

Chemicals, enzymes, antimicrobial peptides, plasma protein mediators, complement system, cytokines

Cellular Defenses

Leukocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, monocytes)

Adaptive Immunity

Specific host defenses involving T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes

T Lymphocytes

T cells with T cell receptors, including helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells

B Lymphocytes

B cells with B cell receptors involved in humoral response

Cytokines

Molecular messengers that signal immune cells

Complement System

Classical pathway, lectin pathway, alternative pathway