Flashcards: Host-Pathogen Dynamics and Defense Strategies — 24 cards

Host defense mechanisms — components?

Physical barriers, chemical secretions, microbiota.

Skin as barrier — roles?

Physical, chemical, biological defenses.

Mucus role?

Traps bacteria, facilitates removal.

Chemical barriers — examples?

pH, lysozyme, antimicrobial peptides.

Microbiota — function?

Prevents pathogen colonization, supports immunity.

Virulence factors — types?

Adhesins, biofilms, enzymes, toxins, capsules.

Adhesins — purpose?

Facilitate bacterial attachment.

Biofilm formation — benefit?

Protection from immune system and antibiotics.

Bacterial enzymes — role?

Degrade host tissues, promote invasion.

Exotoxins — examples?

Neurotoxins, hemolysins, enterotoxins.

Capsule — function?

Inhibits phagocytosis, immune evasion.

Antigenic variation — purpose?

Avoid immune detection.

Host-bacteria — types?

Symbiosis, mutualism, parasitism, commensalism.

Microbiome — significance?

Supports health, digestion, immunity.

Infection stages — sequence?

Colonization, invasion, multiplication, dissemination.

Reservoirs — examples?

Humans, animals, environment.

Transmission modes — main types?

Direct, indirect, vector, fecal-oral.

Physical barriers — components?

Epidermis, keratin, desquamation, resident flora.

Inflammatory response — signs?

Redness, heat, swelling, pain, loss of function.

CRP, procalcitonin — role?

Markers of systemic inflammation.

Sepsis — definition?

Dysregulated systemic inflammatory response.

Bacterial invasion — mechanisms?

Cross barriers via enzymes, entry points.

Infection outcome — depends on?

Virulence factors and host defenses.

Bacterial survival — inside cells?

Phagosome inhibition, cytoplasmic escape.