Micro

• What is meant by the term allergy?

  An adverse reaction that the body has to a particular substance
• Why might allergies be on the rise?

  Due to pollution or living in a cleaner, germ-free environment
• What is the name of the substance that triggers an allergic reaction?

  Allergen
• What are some good examples of allergens?


  Pollen, dust mites, and nuts
• What system in our body does an allergen trigger wrongly?

  Our immune system
• What is the name of the antibody that our immune system releases in response to the allergen?

  Immunoglobulin E (IgE)
• What does the antibody cause other cells to release that helps produce the symptoms of an allergic reaction?

  Histamine
• What are some symptoms of allergic reactions?

  Sneezing, wheezing, runny nose, rash, swelling, itchy eyes, vomiting, and diarrhoea
• What is the purpose of vaccinations?

  • To prevent us from catching certain diseases
  • Developed by Edward Jenner
• Who originally developed vaccination?

  Edward Jenner
• What observation led Edward Jenner to develop vaccination?

  Milkmaids who got cowpox never suffered from smallpox
• What process did Edward Jenner use to test his vaccination theory?

  1. Scratched pus from a cowpox blister onto a boy's arm
  2. Later exposed the same boy to smallpox
  3. The boy did not get smallpox
• Why didn’t the boy develop smallpox after being vaccinated?

  Because the antigens of the two viruses were similar
• Why don’t we usually get sick with the same pathogen twice?

  • The body keeps a memory of how to make antibodies
  • Produces more antibodies faster upon re-exposure
  • Fights off the pathogen before symptoms appear
• What happens after the body is infected by a pathogen?

  The body retains a memory of how to produce antibodies
• How does the body respond when the same pathogen enters again?

  The body produces a greater number of antibodies quickly
• What is the result of the body’s quick response to a previously encountered pathogen?

  The person does not show symptoms of being sick
• Clostridium botulinum produces botulism, a neurotoxin that affects nerve cells and leads to muscle paralysis.
• Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax, which can be transmitted through contact with infected animals or contaminated soil.