Microorganisms & Mechanisms
This term describes organisms whose cells have a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
Answer: What are eukaryotes / eukaryotic organisms?
This gram-positive coccus is a common cause of skin and soft tissue infections.
Answer: What is Staphylococcus aureus?
This term describes when part of the immune system is not working properly, making a person more likely to get infections.
Answer: What is immune deficiency?
This term means that bacteria are present in the bloodstream.
Answer: What is bacteremia?
This term describes inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Answer: What is meningitis?
According to Table 8.1, these two broad classes of microorganisms are not cellular: they contain genetic material but no cellular structure.
Answer: What are viruses and prions?
This virus as a cause of chickenpox and shingles.
Answer: What is varicella-zoster virus (VZV)?
These immune deficiencies are present at birth and caused by a problem in the genes (Table 8.10).
Answer: What are primary (congenital) immune deficiencies?
This is a life‑threatening condition where the body’s response to infection damages its own tissues and organs
Answer: What is sepsis?
Name two classic signs/symptoms in the initial clinical presentation of acute bacterial meningitis.
Answer (any two):
From Table 8.3, this is the term for a structural change in antigens that helps pathogens escape immune detection, commonly seen in influenza viruses.
Answer: What is an antigenic shift?
Fungi that form multicellular, filamentous structures are described by this term.
Answer: What are moulds?
In this type of disorder, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own cells as if they were foreign.
Answer: What is an autoimmune disease?
Name two common early clinical signs that might make you suspect sepsis in a hospitalized patient.
Answer (any two):
Compared with viral meningitis, bacterial meningitis is more serious. List two expected CSF findings in bacterial meningitis.
Answer (any two):
Certain pathogens can survive and replicate inside phagocytes after being engulfed, instead of being destroyed. Name one mechanism they use to do this.
Answer (any one):
This protozoan parasite is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes and causes recurrent fever and hemolytic anemia.
Answer: What is Plasmodium
Give one example of a systemic autoimmune disease and one example of an organ‑specific autoimmune disease.
Answer (any one pair):
A patient with suspected sepsis arrives in the ED. Name two priority nursing actions in the first hour.
Answer (any two):
Name one common bacterial cause and one common viral cause of meningitis in adults.
Answer (any one pair):
Some bacteria avoid phagocytosis by producing this external structure that impairs recognition and engulfment by immune cells.
Answer: What is a capsule?
Name one bacterial or viral pathogen and the specific type of tissue damage it commonly causes (e.g., toxin-mediated, direct cell lysis, etc.).
Answer (example):
People with significant immune deficiency are usually advised to avoid this type of vaccine because it contains a weakened form of the micro‑organism that could still cause disease.
Answer: What are live attenuated vaccines?
Without treatment, bacteremia can progress to sepsis. Explain, in simple terms, what happens in the body when this progression occurs.
Answer: What is the immune system overreacts to the infection, causing widespread inflammation, leaky blood vessels, low blood pressure, and decreased blood flow to organs, which can lead to organ failure?
A patient with bacterial meningitis suddenly develops a purplish rash, very low blood pressure, and signs of shock. This dangerous complication is especially associated with meningococcal infection. Name it.
Answer: What is disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or meningococcemia with septic shock?
(Allow either term depending on what you’ve emphasized in class.)