Living & Non Living
What are the 7 characteristics of a living thing?
Made of cells, take in nutrients, use energy, produce waste, respond to stimuli, grow, and reproduce
A submicroscopic (very tiny) particle that is not an organism, consisting of genetic material (DNA or RNA) protected by a protein coat called a capsid.
What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Prokaryotic: cells are primitive cells without a defined nucleus (e.g. a bacteria)
Eukaryotic: cells are complex cells with membraned organelles and a true nucleus (e.g. plant and animal cells)
What is a pathogen?
Any organism or agent (such as a virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasite) that causes disease in its host (commonly caused a germ)
What is pus in an infected wound made of?
Dead pathogens, dead white blood cells, and damaged tissue.
What is an example of an organism reponding to stimuli?
Shivering, getting goosebumps, crying, or laughing
What type of virus is often used as an example because it attacks bacteria?
A Bacteriophage
What are the two main structures found in plant cells that are not found in animal cells?
The Cell Wall and Chloroplasts
What makes up the first line of defense and what is its purpose?
Physical and Chemical barriers that block pathogens from entering the body (skin, hair, sweat, tears, stomach acid, and mucus)
Define an Outbreak.
A sudden, unexpected increase in the number of disease cases in a small, specific geographic area (i.e. flu in schools or hospital unit)
Why is a virus classified as non-living?
Because they do not respond to stimuli, do not grow, do not take in nutrients, do not produce waste, and are not made of cells
The virus's life cycle inside a healthy cell that ends with destruction (death) of the host cell and releases new viruses.
What is the function of the mitochondria?
To perform cellular respiration - producing energy (called ATP) for the cell
What are the key components of the second line of defense?
Non-specific white blood cells called phagocytes (which engulf and destroy invaders), inflammation, and fever.
Define an epidemic
An outbreak that spreads rapidly and affects a large number of people within a community, region, or country (measles)
What characteristics do viruses share with living things?
They can reproduce (make more of the same kind) and they use energy (though they use the host cell's energy)
Name the five steps in the viral life cycle in order.
1. Attachment, 2. Entry, 3. Replication, 4. Assembly, and 5. Release
What is the difference between the rough endoplasmic reticulum (Rough ER) and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (Smooth ER)?
Rough ER: folds proteins madeby ribosomes
Smooth ER: synthesizes lipids (fats) and helps detoxify drugs and toxic substances
Why does our body produce a fever when we are sick?
The fever changes the internal environment, making it difficult for pathogens to reproduce and helping fight the disease
Define a pandemic
An epidemic that spreads across international borders, multiple countries, or worldwide (e.g. Covid-19)
What is the fundamental difference between how living organisms and viruses obtain energy?
Living organisms take in nutrients and perform cellular processes independently, whereas viruses cannot process energy on their own and must hijack a host cell's energy and resources
What happens specifically during the Replication and Assembly phase of the viral life cycle?
Replication: The bacteria starts to reproduce the virus's DNA or RNA using its own energy and resources
Assembly: The virus's DNA or RNA gets protected by the capsid, producing deveral new viruses reeady to be released.
What is the specific role of the Golgi Body?
To prepare proteins to be shipped outside the cell by adding lipids and carbohydrates.
What distinguishes the third line of defence from the first two?
It is an internal specific set of white blood cells (including B-cells that make the unique antibodies and T-cells that destroy infected cells) that provides unique tailored defences and is responsible for immunological memory
In scientific data analysis, why is tracking the difference between an outbreak, epidemic, and pandemic critical for public health?
It dictates the scale of response required - from local containment and sanitation measures (outbreak) to regional healthcare mobilization (epidemic) and international travel restrictions or global vaccination rollouts (pandemic)