| A | B |
|---|
| Microorganism | A very small organism that requires a microscope to be seen e.g bacteriun, fungus, virus. |
| Pathogen | An organism that causes illness/disease when it grows in the body. |
| Germicide | A chemical that kills microorganisms. |
| Antiseptic | A weak germicide that can be used in/on the body. |
| Disinfectant | A strong germicide that can only be used on non-living surfaces. |
| Antibiotic | A type of drug that kills microorganisms growing in the body. |
| White Blood Cell | A special cell in the blood that functions as part of the immune system. |
| Phagocytes | A type of white blood cell which engulfs microorganisms and digests them. |
| Lymphocytes | A type of white blood cell that produces antibodies. |
| Platelet | A small cell-like component of the blood that helps clot the blood. |
| Fibrinogen | A soluble protein in the blood involved in blood clotting when it is converted to insoluble fibrin. |
| Antigen | Any substance that is recognised as foreign by the body. Antigens can be microorganisms, pollen grains, transplanted human tissue. |
| Antibody | A protein made by the body in response to the antigen. The antibody circulates in the blood, recognises the specific antigen and attempts to destroy it. |
| Immune System | The system in the body that protects it from microbial infection. |
| Immunisation | A treatment that enables the body to recognise a pathogen so that antibodies are produced quickly and the pathogen destroyed before illness results. |
| Attenuated | This describes a microorganism that has been weakened so that it can be used as an antigen in a vaccine to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies. |
| Transplant | The replacement of failing body organs with healthy ones from a donor e.g. kidney, liver, heart, lungs, cornea. |
| Rejection | Failure of a transplanted organ to survive in a recipient's body because it has stimulated the immune system to produce antibodies that attack it. |
