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Amputation - removal of a limb e.g. leg, or another part of the
body, e.g. ear
Antibiotic - a chemical drug that kills bacteria
Antibodies - proteins produced by lymphocytes (white blood cells)
which help to cancel out the effect of antigens
Antigens - foreign substances present in the body that can stimulate
the production of antibodies
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Bacteria - a general name given to single celled organisms. In
favourable conditions each cell can multiply by subdividing
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Cerebrospinal Fluid - protective fluid that flows through and around
the brain and spinal cord
Childhood Immunisation Programme - this is a series of routine
vaccinations given to children in the United Kingdom
Cilia - fine hairs on the surface of cells. These can beat in a
coordinated way to carry mucus, with trapped micro-organisms, away
from the lungs
Ciliated Mucous Membrane - tiny moving hairs attached to the cells
lining the nose and throat
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Epilepsy - convulsive attacks caused by too much electrical activity
in brain cells
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Immunity - the ability of an organism to resist infection, usually
because it carries antibodies in its blood
Incubation - the period of time between the date of infection and
the appearance of the first symptoms
Infectious disease - a disease caused by the invasion of the body
by organisms e.g. bacteria and viruses
Inflammation - changes in the tissues of the body showing their
reaction to infection of injury. Signs of inflammation include swelling,
pain, heat and redness
Intestines - a tube like part of the digestive system, stretching from your stomach to your bottom.
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Meninges - the three layers (membranes) that surround and protect
the brain and spinal cord
Meningococcus - a single celled bacteria which is round in shape.
The plural of meningococcus is meningococci
Micro-organisms - a term used to describe organisms including viruses,
bacteria and fungi most of which are microscopic and only visible
with the aid of a microscope
Microscope - Instrument used to magnify minute objects.
Molecules - groups of atoms chemically joined together
Mucous - Thick slippery substance produced by mucous membranes, e.g. in the nose.
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Parasitically - any organism that can live upon or within another
Pathogenic - capable of producing disease. Pathogenic bacteria
are those whose growth in the body can cause disease
Platelets - bits of old red blood cells that are used to form a
blood clot
Primary case - the first case to occur
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Septicaemia - Blood poisoning, invasion of the bloodstream by micro-organisms
Shock - a condition in which there is not enough blood getting
from the heart to the tissues of the body
Skin graft - the transfer of healthy skin from one part of the
body to a damaged area
Symptoms - unpleasant or unwanted warning signs of a disease
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Toxins - a poisonous protein produced by bacteria that damage tissues
and organs of the body. The toxins produced by the meningococcal
bacteria are called endotoxins
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Vaccination - an injection of a weak or dead organism that provokes
the body's immune system to make appropriate antibodies
Virus - a tiny living organism smaller than bacteria that can only
be grown in living cells. Only the largest viruses can be seen with
an ordinary microscope
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