BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Infectious disease

Science
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases are caused by the transmission of pathogens, which are microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Pathogens can be transmitted by direct contact horizontal and vertical transmission - and by indirect contact - vehicle-borne transmission and vector-borne transmission.

Pathogens
Pathogens are microorganisms that cause infectious disease. Pathogens are mostly bacteria but some are viruses, fungi and protoctists.

Bacteria
Bacteria come in many shapes and sizes, but even the largest are only 10 micrometres long (10 millionths of a metre). Bacteria are living cells and, in favourable conditions, can multiply rapidly. Once inside the body they release poisons or toxins that make Salmonella bacterium cell us feel ill.

Viruses
Viruses are many times smaller than bacteria. They are among the smallest organisms known and consist of a fragment of genetic material inside a protective protein coat. Viruses can only reproduce inside

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Infectious disease

host cells, and they damage the A hepatitis C virus showing cell when they do this. A virus can DNA enclosed in a protein get inside a cell and, once there, coat. take over and make hundreds of thousands of copies of itself. Eventually the virus copies fill the whole host cell and burst it open. The viruses are then passed out of the body in the bloodstream, the airways, or by other routes.

Transmission of pathogens
Microorganisms can be transmitted in two main ways: direct contact and indirect contact.

Direct contact
Direct contact means that the disease-causing microbe is passed from one person to another when their bodies touch in some way. Vertical transmission happens when microorganisms pass from a mother to her unborn baby through the placenta. German measles and HIV can be passed on this way. Horizontal transmission happens when microorganisms pass from one person to another by touching, kissing or sexual intercourse.

Examples of horizontal transmission Type of contact Bacterial disease Viral disease

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Infectious disease

touching kissing sexual intercourse Indirect contact

bacterial gastroenteritis bacterial meningitis gonorrhoea, syphilis

chickenpox glandular fever, cold sores HIV, hepatitis B

Indirect contact happens when microorganisms are carried to a person in some way, instead of by actual body to body contact. Vehicle-borne transmission involves an object carrying the disease-causing microorganism.

Examples of vehicle-borne transmission Vehicle droplets in the air water sharp objects food Bacterial disease tuberculosis (TB) cholera tetanus Salmonella food poisoning Viral disease colds, flu polio HIV hepatitis A

Vector-borne transmission involves an animal such as an insect. For example, malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes, dysentery by houseflies and plague by fleas.

Body defences
Most pathogens have to get inside our body to spread infection. Once they are inside, the body provides ideal living conditions, including plenty of food, water and warmth. Standing in their way is our body's immune system - the body's co-ordinated response to the invading pathogens.

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Infectious disease

The first line of defence is the body's natural barriers. These include:

skin nasal hairs, mucus and ciliacilia: Tiny hairs, which line the respiratory tract. They beat continuously to move mucus and dirt up the bronchi and trachea. tears stomach acid - it destroys the protein structure of the bacterias enzymes. This results in the bacteria being unable to carry out its bodily processes. The skin
The skin covers the whole body, protacting against physical damage, microbe infection and dehydration. Its dry, dead outer cells are difficult for microbes to penetrate, and the sebaceous glands produce oils that help kill microbes.

Cross-section of skin

Nasal hairs, mucus and cilia

The respiratory system (or gaseous exchange tract) is protected in several ways. Nasal hairs keep out dust and larger microorganisms. Sticky mucus traps dust and microbes, which are then carried away by cilia (tiny hairs on the cells that line the gaseous exchange tract).

Tears
Tears, saliva and mucus contain an enzyme called lysozyme. This destroys microorganisms.

Stomach acid
The stomach contains hydrochloric acid , which destroys microorganisms.

Plant defences
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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Infectious disease

Plants produce antibacterial chemicals to help so that they can defend themselves against microorganisms. Some of these chemicals are now used by humans.

Antibacterial plants Plant How it works Mint is not just used in toothpaste because of its fresh taste: it has antibacterial properties too.

Sprig of mint (Mentha spicata) on a wooden surface.

Witch hazel (Hamamelis) can be used to prevent an infection getting in through the skin.

Witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis)

Antiseptics and antibiotics

Antibiotics and antifungals
Antibiotics are substances that kill bacteria [ bacteria: Singlecelled microorganisms, some of which are pathogenic in humans, animals and plants. Singular is bacterium. ] or stop their growth . They do not work against viruses: it is difficult to develop drugs that kill viruses virus : ultramicroscopic non-

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Infectious disease

cellular organism that replicates itself inside the cells of living hosts without also damaging the bodys tissues. Antifungal agents kill fungi. An example of an antifungal is nyastatin which treats the fungus candida albicans.

How some common antibiotics work Antibiotic penicillin How it works breaks down cell walls

erythromycin stops protein synthesis neomycin vancomycin stops protein synthesis stops protein synthesis

ciprofloxacin stops DNA replication Penicillin

The first antibiotic - penicillin - was discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming. He noticed that some bacteria he had left in a petri dish had been killed by naturally occurring penicillium mould.
A bacterium damaged and Since the discovery of penicillin, distorted by penicillin many other antibiotics have been discovered or developed. Most antibiotics used in medicine have been altered chemically to make them more effective and safer for humans.

Cleanliness and antiseptics

Chemicals that kill microorganisms outside the body are known as antiseptics . Antiseptics can be used to clean an open wound as well as surfaces on objects such as toilets. One simple way to reduce the risk of infection is to maintain personal hygiene and to keep hospitals clean. In the 19th century, Ignaz Semmelweis realised the importance of
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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Infectious disease

cleanliness in hospitals. However, although his ideas were successful, they were ignored at the time because people did not know that diseases were caused by pathogens that could be killed. Now try a Test Bite.

Antibiotic resistance - Higher tier

Over time, bacteria [ bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms, some of which are pathogenic in humans, animals and plants. Singular is bacterium. ] can become resistant to certain antibiotics [ antibiotics : Substances that kill bacteria. ]. This is an example of natural selection . In a large population of bacteria, there may be some that are not affected by the antibiotic. These survive and reproduce, creating more bacteria that are not affected by the antibiotic. The numbers of antibioticresistant bacteria have increased, partly due to the misuse of antibiotics.

MRSA
MRSA is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is very dangerous because it is resistant to most antibiotics. To slow down or stop the development of other strains of resistant bacteria, we should:

always avoid the unnecessary use of antibiotics always complete the full course Tuberculosis

Watch
You may wish to view this BBC News item (2007) about how drug-resistant strains of TB are putting European Union

Tuberculosis, or TB for short, is a disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Most people who are infected do not show any symptoms. But about 10 per cent go on to develop serious symptoms including shortness of breath, coughing, fever, and it can even

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize - Infectious disease

Infected people without symptoms are usually given a course of one antibiotic [ antibiotics : Substances that kill bacteria. ]. Those who show symptoms need a course of several antibiotics at once. This is to reduce the chance of strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria emerging.

states at risk of a deadly outbreak. Watch

cause death.

Development of resistance
The main steps in the development of resistance are:

1. Random changes or mutations occur in the genes of individual bacterial cells. 2. Some mutations protect the bacterial cell from the effects of the antibiotic. 3. Bacteria without the mutation die or cannot reproduce with the antibiotic present. 4. The resistant bacteria are able to reproduce with less competition from normal bacterial strains.
Now try a Test Bite - higher tier. Back to Revision Bite

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