• Question: how can you get a disease

    Asked by KUNG FU TIGER to Jake, James, Pete, Senga, Simonne on 11 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Jake Langham

      Jake Langham answered on 11 Nov 2017:

      Hi, I think the biologists (Simonne, Senga & Pete) will be able to answer this question better than me, but I will try a simple explanation and they can correct me if I get anything wrong! One way to get a disease is if particular microorganisms (e.g. certain types of bacteria or viruses) get into your body and affect the way it normally functions. For example if you have the common cold, that is caused by a virus that affects your nose, throat and some other parts. There are other ways to get diseases too, for instance some people are born with ‘genetic diseases’, caused by mutations to their DNA. This can lead their body to grow up in a different way that can be harmful.

    • Photo: Simonne Weeks

      Simonne Weeks answered on 11 Nov 2017:

      Great question Kung Fu Tiger. Jake’s has written brilliant answer. In addition we can get a disease when our immune system is not working as well as it should. Our white cells are our fighters against infection. If we don’t have enough of these fighter-cells we are more at risk of getting a disease.

    • Photo: Senga Robertson

      Senga Robertson answered on 13 Nov 2017:

      Hi Kung Fu Tiger

      what a brilliant question. Jake and Simmone have answered brilliantly, all I will add is that when we are born billions of bacteria start to grow and live in our bodies. Some of these programme your immune system to recognise “bad bacteria”, or other infections so if you become infected by bad bacteria your body recognises it and sends out white blood cells to get rid of it before it can make you sick.

      If your body doesn’t recognise the bad bacteria then you could get sick. What’s cool though (and it’s actually how some vaccinations work) is that your immune system has a memory so after your body has been infected by something if you are infected in the future your body recognises it really quickly and sends out white blood cells to get rid of the infection.

      Most people are vaccinated against measles and other diseases as babies, this actually involves injecting a tiny bit of the disease in to your body, not enough to make you sick but enough for your body to recognise it if you were to get infected in the future.

      Our bodies are pretty awesome.

      Senga 🙂

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