Understanding the Body’s Defense Mechanisms
Mechanisms of Defense (Barriers)
Non-Specific Barriers
These are congenital. We are born with them, and they do not discriminate between pathogens and non-pathogens. They have no memory, which means they do not recognize antigens and are not reinforced after infection.
- The skin is both a mechanical and chemical barrier. The chemical barrier function depends on two glands: sebaceous and sweat glands. Both secrete a fluid that gives the skin a slightly acidic pH, which is very effective against external
Understanding Food, Nutrients, and Biological Processes
Understanding Food and Nutrients
Foods are natural or processed substances containing various nutrients. Humans consume them to satisfy hunger or for other reasons. They can be plant-based, animal-based, liquids, or solids.
Pursuing and obtaining food is fundamental to survival. Therefore, humans have had to adapt to their environment or fight to ensure their survival.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are derived from plants and cereals. They are the primary source of energy for living things. Glucose is
Read MoreEcosystem Dynamics: Biocenosis, Biotope, and Ecological Interactions
Ecosystem Dynamics
Biocenosis: A community of organisms living in a specific area.
Biotope: The physical environment where a biocenosis lives, characterized by its environmental conditions.
Ecosystem: The interaction between the biocenosis and its biotope, including all relationships between organisms and their environment.
Ecology: The scientific study of interactions between living organisms and their environment.
Habitat: The specific place where an organism finds the necessary conditions for life.
Read MoreUnderstanding Health, Disease, and Infection Prevention
Health, Disease, and Infection
What is Health?
Health refers to the state in which the body normally performs its functions.
What is Disease?
Disease occurs when an organ or system undergoes a change and ceases to properly fulfill its function, leading to a disturbance.
What is Infection?
Infection is the entry of a foreign body into another. Examples in the human body include bacteria in dental plaque, on the surface of the skin, and inside the colon.
Methods to Prevent Infections
- Disinfection: Aims to
Pharmacognosy: Crude Drugs, Classification, and Uses
Pharmacognosy
Sources of Crude Drugs
Species, Ecosystems, and Biological Interactions
Species, Population, and Community
Species: A set of individuals similar to each other and their parents, capable of reproducing and producing fertile offspring.
Population: The total number of individuals of the same species inhabiting a given territory.
Community: Also known as a biocenosis, it is a group of populations of different species living in a specific area.
Ecosystem: Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Ecosystem: The set of populations that make up a community, plus their physical environment, i.
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