B2 Keeping Healthy

Why do we get ill? We get ill when microorganisms invade the body. Disease-causing microorganisms are called pathogens.

Pathogens that cause disease are bacteria, protozoa, virus and fungi

In the right conditions- warm, lots of nutriensts and damp, bacteria can divide into two every twenty minutes. This means that amount of bacteria will double every twenty minutes. In one hour, there will be eight bacterium.

How does our body stop pathogens from entering in the first place?The skin is a physical barrier to pathogens and can heal very quickly if cut. Enzymes in tears and sweat also stops pathogens from enterying the body. Eyelashes and stomach acid prevents pathogens from entering when we eat and drink.

Pathogens are not the disease, they cause the disease.  If the pathogens do get past the first line of defence, which is the skin, tears, sweat, eyelashes and stomach acid, they start to cause symptoms of the disease by the damage done to cells when they reproduce or the toxins they release. Symptoms could be coughing, vomiting, rashes, breathlessness or nausea