Biology · Ch 10 — Human Health and Diseases
Pneumonia
Pneumonia
F. Pneumonia : Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lungs or their alveoli. It can be caused by a variety of pathogens — viruses such as influenza virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV); bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae; or fungi such as Pneumocystis jirovecii and Pneumocystis carinii — and can also result from chemical burns or physical injury to the lungs.
Drawn by us to help you understand the concept clearly, and verified to make sure it's accurate. For exams, practice from your textbook's own diagram.
What this figure shows. A small gallery of four separately labelled micrograph-style illustrations of pathogens that can cause pneumonia: a rod-shaped Adenovirus particle, the rod-shaped bacterium Legionella pneumophila, chains of rounded Streptococcus pneumoniae cells, and the branching filamentous structure of the mould Aspergillus — representing the viral, bacterial and fungal categories of pneumonia-causin …
Signs and symptoms: Cough producing yellow or greenish sputum/phlegm; high fever; shortness of breath (dyspnoea); chest pain on deep breathing or coughing; and loss of appetite, fatigue, headaches, vomiting, joint pain and muscle aches.
Mode of transmission: Mostly by direct person-to-person contact, but also via respiratory droplets released by an infected person, or by sharing clothes and utensils.
Diagnosis and treatment: Treatment depends on the specific pathogen responsible; bacterial pneumonia responds to antibiotics such as Benzyl penicillin, Ampicillin and Chloramphenicol. …