Immunity AQA GCSE Biology
- Created by: Caitlinyx
- Created on: 24-04-13 19:26
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- Immunity
- Antigens
- Each cell has unique proteins called antigens and your immune systems recognises other micro-organisms by their antigens
- White blood cells can make specific antibodies which join up with the antigen and destroys the pathogen
- White blood cells remember the antigens and the antibody needed, so if they see the same pathogen again, they can get rid of it quicker
- The first time you meet a pathogen you get ill, this is because they is a delay while your body sorts out the right antibody needed
- The next time you destory the pathogen before they have time to make you ill
- Vaccination
- Some pathogens make you seriously ill very quickly so you need to be immunised before they can harm you
- Immunisation involves a vaccine
- A vaccine is usually made up of a dead or weakened form of the pathogen
- It works by triggering your immune system into making an antibody for the antigen, without getting you ill
- Then if you meet the live pathogen, the white blood cells can make the antibodies before you get ill
- A vaccine can be used for both bacterial and viral infections
- MMR protects against measles, mumps and rubella
- Vaccines have saved millions of lives
- If a large proportion of the population was immune, the spread of a disease is reduced
- Smallpox has been completely wiped out by vaccinations and doctors hope that this will soon happen with polio
- Vaccine Debate
- Very rarely a child may have a negative reaction to an immunisation
- It is better for society if people get immunised because there is a smaller group of people who can get infected
- 100 years ago 50% of all deaths of children and young people were due to infectious diseases, but now because of the development of antibiotics and vaccines it has fallen to 0.5%
- People often know the small risks of immunisation and therefore question getting it, not thinking about the dangers of the actual disease
- The media highlight scare stories
- Pharmaceutical companies want to sell their vaccines
- Doctors and health advisors can weigh up the information, but they have vaccination targets set by the government
- Antigens
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