Deck 29: a Special Topic: Infectious Disease

Question 1

Explain how antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections.What are some of the problems concerning the use of these drugs?

Answer 1

Antibiotics work in a variety of ways,including inducing the bacterial cells to burst.Some antibiotics target the cell walls of bacteria; because animal cells lack cell walls,these antibiotics won't kill human cells.Other antibiotics interfere with bacterial protein synthesis; this works because ribosome structure is different in bacteria and animal cells.A major problem is the development of bacterial strains that are resistant to antibiotics.This results from the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.

Question 2

A (n)________ is a global outbreak of disease.

Answer 2

pandemic

Question 3

A(n)________ is an animal that carries a disease from one host to another.

Answer 3

vector

Question 4

A pathogen is a disease-causing organism,but not all pathogens are alike.Some pathogens are more dangerous than others.When describing the relative ability of a pathogen to cause disease,we are considering its ________.

A)pathogenicity
B)virulence
C)infectivity
D)emergence

Question 5

Athlete's foot is caused by a(n)________.

A)insect
B)fungus
C)bacterium
D)virus.

Question 6

A patient developed mononucleosis caused by a virus during his early teen years but then did not exhibit any signs of the condition for many years.He then had a bad traffic accident at age 39 and had mononucleosis again,although he had not been exposed to anyone carrying the causative virus.His infected cells were rapidly releasing new viruses.The virus is exhibiting the following effect.

A)lytic infection
B)persistent infection
C)toxin production
D)transformation

Question 7

In the 1950s there was a large outbreak of Epstein-Barr virus in certain parts of Africa.Shortly thereafter,in the same areas there was a large upswing in the incidence of Burkitt's lymphoma,a cancer.What characteristic was that virus demonstrating?

A)lytic
B)persistent
C)latent
D)transformation

Question 8

A disease or condition with clinically distinct symptoms,whose incidence has increased,especially in the past two decades,is called ________.

A)emerging
B)reemerging
C)infectious
D)declining

Question 9

Which of the following characteristics of a medicine might be effective in treating a herpes simplex infection with as little harm to the patient as possible?

A)blocking cell wall synthesis
B)stopping cilia activity
C)preventing capsid formation
D)halting membrane formation

Question 10

Cholera is spread by contaminated food and water.The bacterium kills because it changes the permeability of the large intestinal cells.Which therapy would give the best chance of saving a person given the information in this chapter?

A)chemotherapy
B)radiation
C)fluid replacement
D)CT scans

Question 11

________ are disease-causing organisms that invade a person's body.

Question 12

Product recalls on frozen hamburger are not uncommon during any given year.The meat packing industry can experience problems when processing centers accidentally introduce this fecal bacterium into ground meat.What organism is commonly found to be the culprit?

A)Clostridium
B)E. coli
C)Streptococcus
D)Staphylococcus

Question 13

Bacteria reproduce rapidly.It is possible for a few bacteria to grow in numbers sufficient to spoil milk left out overnight.What is the process by which bacteria reproduce?

A)meiosis
B)mitosis
C)binary fission
D)multiple fusions

Question 14

What is the most effective way of killing Staphylococcus in the food you are preparing?

A)Nothing, this organism never is spread in food.
B)Mix antibiotics in with the food.
C)Cook the food thoroughly.
D)Use a good antiseptic on the food itself before preparing it.

Question 15

A camping party got lost in the wilderness for several days.They had sufficient food but misplaced their matches and could only drink the water from the clear lakes and streams in the area without boiling it.Very quickly everyone developed diarrhea that lasted the entire 8 days until they were rescued.Which type of pathogen was probably responsible?

A)protozoan
B)fungus
C)prion
D)vector

Question 16

A gentleman noticed a rash,forming a target-like design,on his arm.Subsequently,he developed pain and later arthritis.The bacterium that caused his condition was most likely spread by ________.

A)a mosquito
B)unprotected sex
C)uncooked food
D)a tick

Question 17

Bacteria that normally live on or in the body and prevent other bacteria from becoming too numerous are referred to as ________.

A)bacterial toxins
B)beneficial bacteria
C)pathogens
D)parasitic

Question 18

________ are made by certain pathogens like Staphylococcus,Salmonella,Escherichia coli,and Clostridium botulinum.These substances often travel in the bloodstream and cause disease symptoms.

Question 19

Infectious proteins that are heat-resistant and that cannot be destroyed by ultraviolet light or most chemicals are known as ________.

Question 20

Vibrio comma causes Asiatic cholera.It has a corkscrew shape so we would say it has this form.

A)Clostridium
B)Bacillus
C)coccus
D)Spirillum

Question 21

A new antibiotic is introduced which will only destroy organisms lacking a nuclear membrane.A dispute develops over its safety when used in people.What arguments would you use in this discussion?

Question 22

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium found in the bloodstream of small woodland rodents like mice or chipmunks,and is also found occasionally in deer.Yet humans get this disease without coming into direct contact with either rodents or deer.Explain the concept of a biological vector and discuss how humans contract Lyme disease.

Question 23

Given the information in this chapter,why do you suppose that the rabies virus attacks mammal nervous systems but not those of crocodiles?

Question 24

In some cultures parts of the central nervous system (e.g.,brains)of cattle are popular foods.Predict the issues that might arise from this practice.

Question 25

Developers wish to build a road through an isolated area where few people have ever visited before.The proposed route is wet and warm with many species of wild rodents and other mammals.What issues concerning disease might this route raise?

Question 26

Tetracycline antibiotics are frequently included in commercial poultry feed.Why is the practice unwise for human health in the long run?