Professional Documents
Culture Documents
microorganisms
Microorganisms are small things found everywhere
Most do not cause disease and actually help your
body function normally
Certain ones do CAUSE infectious Diseases that can
spread directly or indirectly
These are known as contagious or communicable
diseases
They are passed from person to person, object, or
animal
•Touching
•Coughing/Sneezing
•Sharing
•Sexual Contact
Pathogens are tiny organisms that cause
communicable diseases
Infection occur when pathogens enter the body,
multiply, and damage cells
Bacteria-tiny one-celled organisms that live nearly
everywhere
o Common types: strep throat ( if not taken care of can
cause heart damage), boils, bacterial pneumonia,
impetigo, sinus infection, tuberculosis, hepatitis
Virus- smallest disease causing organism, not alive,
cannot reproduce on their own
o Common types- measles, mumps, chicken pox, common
cold, influenza, mononucleosis
• The West Nile virus broke out in 2000 in the
northern part of the United States for several
months. The news reported the number of
deaths and informed the public about the
virus and how it is transmitted. What are pros
and cons to intense media coverage of a
disease outbreak?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOWrjsENY
8I
Good hygiene
Hand washing
Take warm showers
Eat properly
Get enough sleep
Use clean utensils
Do not share drinking glasses with others
Wear suitable clothing outside and use insect repellant
Examine your body for ticks
Avoid contact with contagious people
Cover your mouth-sneezing or coughing
Stay away during contagious period- length of time when a
particular disease can spread from person to person
Direct contact with the infected person
Indirect contact with an infected person
Contact with a vector- an organism such as an
insect, that transmits pathogens
Other contacts- drink or eat after someone,
uncooked meat, receive blood contaminated
Carriers- bacteria can remain dormant in the lungs
of some people because they do exhibit any
symptoms of the disease. Carriers get rid by taking
medicine and living a healthy lifestyle.
• Ear piercing. Is it safe?
• What are risks of ear piercing?
• What are ways that the risks could be
reduced?
Drugs that can kill or slow the growth of
bacteria
Can be made from bacteria and mold
Penicillin was the first discovered in 1928 by
Alexander Fleming on accident
1940 is when it became available to people
It is important to take all of the medicine to
ensure to get rid of all the bacteria
• We live in a society of electronics. Compare
electronic viruses to viral viruses. How are
they similar and different?
• Skin- Outside layer of skin is tough and made up of
dead cells. This makes it difficult to get germs
through.
• Hairs- Traps germs around 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- Germs that enter the mouth
and stomach are killed by saliva and stomach acid.
Immune system- main line of defense- cells,
tissues, and organs that fight off pathogens and
disease
Immunity- body’s ability to resist germs that cause
particular disease
Two major kinds of defense strategies:
o Nonspecific Response-Inflammation or increased blood
flow to affected area, send white blood cells to speed
to the affected area and destroy invading pathogens
o Specific Response- Set in motion if it survives non-
specific response, more specialized, it can recognize
this pathogen if it enters the body again.
Lymphatic System- secondary circulatory system that
helps the body fight pathogens and maintain its fluid
balance