Fighting disease

• What is the main function of the human body's defense system?

  To protect against pathogens
• What are the two main components of the body's defense system?

  • Physical and chemical barriers
  • Immune system
• What acts as a physical barrier in the human body?

  Skin
• How does skin contribute to pathogen defense?

  It secretes oils and antimicrobial substances
• Through which openings can pathogens enter the body?

  Nose and mouth
• What adaptations do noses have to prevent pathogen entry?

  Little hairs and mucus
• What are the two tubes leaving the throat?

  Trachea and esophagus
• What is the role of mucus in the trachea?

  To trap particles and pathogens
• What are psyia and their function in the respiratory system?

  Tiny structures that move mucus
• What does the stomach produce to kill pathogens?

  Hydrochloric acid
• What is the pH level of stomach contents?

  About 2
• What happens when pathogens enter the body despite defenses?

  The immune system hunts them down
• What is the primary type of cell in the immune system?

  White blood cells
• What are the three important functions of white blood cells?

  1. Phagocytosis (engulfing pathogens)
  2. Producing antitoxins
  3. Producing antibodies
• What is phagocytosis?

  Engulfing pathogens by white blood cells
• What do antitoxins do?

  Counteract toxins produced by pathogens
• What are antigens?

  Foreign substances detected by the immune system
• What are antibodies?

  Proteins made by white blood cells
• How do antibodies function in the immune response?

  They bind to antigens and signal for destruction
• What does it mean to be immune to a disease?

  The body quickly produces antibodies against it
• How does the immune system remember pathogens?

  • It produces specific antibodies
  • It retains memory of past infections
  • It responds quickly upon re-exposure
• What is a big part of medicine?

  The use of drugs
• How much does the NHS spend on medications annually?

  Over seventeen billion pounds
• What are the two groups of medications?

  • Medications that relieve symptoms
  • Medications that treat diseases
• What medications might you take for a sore throat?

  Aspirin or paracetamol
• What do painkillers do for a sore throat?

  Reduce pain and headache
• What is the role of cough medicine?

  It reduces the need to cough
• Do painkillers cure the problem of a sore throat?

  No, they only relieve symptoms
• What do antibiotics do?

  Kill bacteria or prevent their growth
• Why might antibiotics not help with a sore throat?

  Most sore throats are caused by viruses
• Why can't antibiotics kill viruses?

  Antibiotics target bacteria, not viruses
• What is a metaphor used to explain antibiotics' ineffectiveness on viruses?

  Killing a tree with a flyswatter
• Why is it difficult to destroy viruses?

  They hide within our body cells
• What must doctors do before prescribing antibiotics?

  Test to identify the type of bacteria
• What is antibiotic resistance?

  Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics
• How has the ability to treat diseases changed medicine?

  • Improved quality of life
  • Extended people's lives
  • Multiple drugs can be used simultaneously
• What is the main takeaway about medications?

  They help treat symptoms and diseases
• What is the impact of using multiple drugs for treatment?

  Some drugs relieve symptoms, others treat causes
• What happens to our immune system after exposure to a pathogen?

  It develops immunity to that pathogen
• Why is it said that we can only catch diseases like chickenpox once?

  Because we develop immunity after the first infection