Vaccination Video

In this video, it tells the story about how Edward Jenner came up with the vaccination for small pox. He gathered pus from humans that were infected with cow pox and used that as the experiment for the vaccine for small pox. After he successfully performed his experiment he got the small pox bacteria and used that for the small pox vaccination. This was successful too.

1.3 Summary

In 1.3.1 we had groups and discussed how sound was produced and how it traveled through the air. It travels through sound waves. Also in this same lesson we learned what frequency and amplitude was. We made a model of the ear and labeled all parts, external and internal. In 1.2.3 we were assigned a patient and had to find a treatment for their hearing loss and what might have caused it. We performed hearing tests on each other with the tuning fork and the hearing test online. In 1.3.3 we researched what a cochlear implant is and whether or not deaf people should have one. To conclude this lesson the class was divided into four groups, two against and two for a cochlear implant. We ended in a debate.

1.2 Summary

In unit 1.2 we learned how antibiotics become resistant to a certain bacteria. If you take too much of the antibiotic then the bacteria may become immuned to the antibiotic therefore it becomes ineffective. We also talked about four common antibiotics that bacteria become resistant to. Penicillin is one that interferes with the synthesis of the cell wall. Tetracyclines bind to ribosomes causing them to prevent amino acids from forming. Fluoroquinolones interfere with the DNA replication. Sulfa Antibiotics inhibit a metabolic pathway for DNA synthesis and inhibits growth. In this unit we learned about conjugation, transformation, and transduction. We discussed what each step does in class. We played a game representing bacteria and antibiotics and how it would effect you when you didn't take your antibiotics regularly. 

Antibiotic Resistance

You're probably wondering, what is antibiotic resistance? Well, antibiotic resistance is when you consume an antibiotic that does not affect the bacteria. It is when the bacteria rejects the treatment. This can occur through many mechanisms. Sometimes an organism can have certain genes that destroy the antibiotic before it really has time to have an effect on the bacteria. It can also be resistant through mutations. Certain mutations can cause a change in the target protein by in which the antibiotic binds by modifying or eliminating the binding site. Another way an antibiotic may become resistant is through conjugation, transduction, and transformation. This can cause resistance because it can transfer resistant genes on to other bacteria into the plasmids. During conjugation, resistant genes are transferred from the plasmid through pilus, which connects the two cells together.  Conjugation is known as "cell sex". Transduction is when resistant genes are transferred from one cell to the other through bacteriophage. Then, during transformation bacteria incorporates the "naked" DNA outside the cell from the other bacteria with their DNA.

Summary of 1.1.1-1.1.6

In 1.1.1 we basically just learned about what medical interventions are. We made a poster with post-its, and wrote down all the medical interventions used today. Then, in 1.1.2 we were introduced to our first patient from the Smith family, Sue. Sue was at college and wasn't feeling well. She went to the college infirmary to get checked out and was shocked to see a lot of other students there with close to the same symptoms as her. This was just the beginning of our investigation of the outbreak on the college campus. In 1.1.3 we were taught how to identify pathogens using DNA. We learned how to use a PCR machine to copy DNA to run many tests on just one sample duplicated several times. We used the BLAST website to identify Sue's illness with her DNA strand. She was diagonsed with Bacterial Meningitis. We learned all about what this infection was and how it affected the body. Then in 1.1.5 we were taught what an ELISA test was. We did a lab on an ELISA test and used this for the patients including Sue. Basically an ELISA test can show you how much and long you have been infected with a certain antigen. Then finally to wrap up the lesson in 1.1.6 we identified each patient with a virus.

Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis is a disease in which the meninges in the brain are infected. It is an infection in the sace surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Although bacterial meningitis is very rare, anyone could get it. If someone is infected with it, it may be diagnosed with the flu. Bacterial meningitis and the flu both have the same symptoms such as, fever, vomiting, headache, fatigue, and soreness. College students are more likely to get bacterial meningitis because of the living quarters. It is very important that everyone gets a vaccination for this disease because it can be fatal. The treatment of bacterial meningitis may vary, but the best treatment is avoiding it. Also, antibiotics can help cure it but first you must identify which type of bacterial meningitis it is. To prevent the spread or outbreak of bacterial meningitis, it is very important to wash your hands regularly, don't share food or drinks, and stay out of contact with the people that are infected with the disease.

How Antibodies Work

When the body is exposed to infection the immune system sends out antibodies to fight off the germs called antigens that make up the infection. Antibodies are made by a type of white blood cells called B-lymphocytes. These white blood cells are formed in bone marrow.