pathogens & disease

• How small is bacteria?

  very small! 1-2 micro-meters.
• How can bacteria make us ill?

  by producing toxins
• What are the three main shapes of bacteria?

  -bacillus (rods)

  -coccus (spheres)

  -spirillum (spirals)
• Where is genetic material stored in bacteria?

  in loops that are loose called 'plasmids.'
• How does bacteria divide?

  Binary fission using mitosis. They can divide very quickly.
• What do viruses do with cells?

  take control, make millions of copies of themselves.
• What does not work on viruses?

  Antibiotics
• How do bacteria cause disease?


  divide rapidly via binary fission, produce toxins (poisons), the toxins can directly damage cells.
• Why can't bacteria directly enter cells?

  they are too big
• What are examples of entry points for pathogens?

  skin, anus, vagina, nose, eyes, ears
• How can pathogens spread?

  AIR

  DIRECT CONTACT

  CONTAMINATION

  VECTORS
• What are vectors in biology?

  an organism that does not cause disease itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another.