Back to 课程

Biology AS OCR

0% Complete
0/0 Steps
  1. 1-1-practical-skills-written-assessment AS
    7 主题
  2. 1-2-practical-skills-endorsement-assessment AS
    16 主题
  3. 2-1-cell-structure AS
    9 主题
  4. 2-2-biological-molecules AS
    17 主题
  5. 2-3-nucleotides-and-nucleic-acids AS
    8 主题
  6. 2-4-enzymes AS
    9 主题
  7. 2-5-biological-membranes AS
    9 主题
  8. 2-6-cell-division-cell-diversity-and-cellular-organisation AS
    11 主题
  9. 3-1-exchange-surfaces AS
    7 主题
  10. 3-2-transport-in-animals AS
    12 主题
  11. 3-3-transport-in-plants AS
    11 主题
  12. 4-1-communicable-diseases-disease-prevention-and-the-immune-system AS
    16 主题
  13. 4-2-biodiversity AS
    10 主题
  14. 4-3-classification-and-evolution AS
    15 主题
课 Progress
0% Complete

Exam code:H020

Autoimmune Diseases

  • Roughly 5% of the British population suffer from an autoimmune disease

  • An autoimmune disease occurs when the body attacks itself

  • The immune system damages cells of the body as a result

  • Antibodies, T cells (helper and cytotoxic) and B cells attack one or more self-antigens

    • Glycoproteins and glycolipids form surface antigens that enable the immune system to determine whether the cell belongs to the body or if it is foreign

  • The attack can be targeted towards a single organ or it can be directed towards the entire body

Rheumatoid arthritis

  • Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that solely affects the joints

    • It is different from osteoarthritis in several ways

  • It usually begins in the fingers and hands, spreading to the shoulders and elsewhere

  • Symptoms include muscle spasms, inflamed tendons, lethargy and constant joint pain

Causes of autoimmune diseases

  • The causes of autoimmune diseases are still not fully understood

  • There is a lot of research currently underway in this field

  • Scientists have deduced that genetics is an influencing factor

    • Susceptibility to an autoimmune disease was shown to be inherited

    • Susceptibility is the likelihood of an individual developing the disease when exposed to the specific pathogen or stimulus

  • However, research has also suggested that the environment is also important

    • When individuals moved from areas of low autoimmune disease prevalence (like Japan) to areas of higher autoimmune disease prevalence (like the USA) they showed an increased chance of developing an autoimmune disease

Responses

您的邮箱地址不会被公开。 必填项已用 * 标注