CDs & NCDs

• Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by microorganisms
• infectious diseases - also known as contagious or communicable diseases
• Diseases spread by :

  • Touching
  • Coughing
  • Sharing
  • Sexual Contact
• Pathogens are tiny organisms that causes communicable diseases
• infections occur when pathogens enter the body, multiply, and damage cells
• bacteria - tiny one-celled organisms that live nearly everywhere
• virus - smallest disease causing organism, not alive, cannot reproduce on their own
• vector - organism like an insect that transmits pathogens
• carriers - bacteria can remain dormant in the lungs of some people because they do not exhibit any symptoms of the disease.
• antibiotics - drugs that can kill or slow the growth of the bacteria. this can be made up of bacteria and molds.
• penicillin - first discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming
• Our body’s natural protection are :

  • Skin
  • Hairs
  • Tears
  • Mucus
  • Saliva and Stomach acid
• skin - outside layer is tough and is made up of dead cells
• hairs - traps germs around the eyes and nose and keeps them from getting in the body. Cilia keeps germs out of the lungs.
• Tears - Wash out germs from your eyes.
• Mucus - traps germs and contains chemicals to attack and destroy the germs
• Saliva and stomach acid - kills germs that enter the mouth and stomach
• immune system - the body’s main line of defense
• immunity - body’s ability to resist germs that cause particular disease
• two types of immunity:

  • natural immunity
  • acquired immunity
• natural immunity - born with it
• acquired immunity - develops over lifetime.
• passive acquired immunity - antibodies from mother in the womb
• active acquired immunity - body makes a specific antibody in response to invasion of a pathogen
• non-specific response - inflammation or increased blood flow to affected area, send white blood cells to speed to the affected area and destroy invading pathogens.
• specific response - set in motion if it survives non-specific response, more specialized, it can recognize the pathogen if it enters the body again
• lymphatic system - secondary circulatory system that helps the body fight pathogens and maintain fluid balance