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Infection and Response - Coggle Diagram
Infection and Response
Human Defence Systems
Sometimes pathogens gain entry into the body. The immune system takes over to destroy them. The white blood cells are part of the immune system. Pathogens are identified by white blood cells because they have different surface proteins. We call these surface proteins antigens.
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Vaccination
Communicable diseases can be dangerous leading to epidemics or pandemics. Vaccination can be used to enhance the immune system to reduce the chances of this happening. A vaccine contains a small amount of dead or inactive form of the pathogen that can be introduced into the body.
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If the body becomes re-infected with the same pathogen then the white blood cells are prepared. The white blood cells can respond much more quickly and make more of the right type of anti-bodies much more quickly.
This means that the person is unlikely to suffer the symptoms of the harmful disease. Infection has been prevented by enhancing the immune system.
Antibiotics
An antibiotic is a drug that helps to cure a bacterial disease by killing the infective bacteria inside the body.
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It is difficult to develop drugs to kill viruses without harming body tissues because viruses live and reproduce inside cells.
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Monoclonal Antibodies
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Monoclonal antibodies are specific to one binding site on the antigen. This means that we can use monoclonal antibodies to target a specific chemical or specific cells in the body.
During pregnancy, a hormone called HCG is released into the blood. Monoclonal antibodies can detect the presence of this chemical at low levels and are used in pregnancy testing kits.
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The patient is given the monoclonal antibodies and they attach to the receptors on the cancer cells.
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Mice provide antibody producing cells and tumour cells. Mice are induced with cancer to get the tumour cells.
Monoclonal antibodies have been successful in treating some cancers and diabetes. But there have been deaths when used to treat patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Herceptin is used for breast cancer. It is not toxic and is specific to breast cancer cells so few side effects. But it is costly.
