Final answer:
Chemical warfare utilizes chemical substances as weapons, while biological warfare uses living organisms to cause diseases. There are three main routes of exposure to chemical agents: inhalation, skin contact, and ingestion. The human body's defense mechanisms include biological barriers and the inflammatory response, which help protect against such attacks.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chemical and Biological Warfare
Chemical warfare involves using chemical substances as weapons to harm or incapacitate an enemy. These chemical warfare agents (CWAs) include various chemicals that can be lethal or incapacitating, and they can be delivered in liquid, gas, or solid form. Examples of deadly CWAs include nerve agents, which disrupt the nervous system leading to symptoms such as pupil constriction, salivation, convulsions, and loss of control over bodily functions.
Biological warfare is the use of living organisms, like bacteria or viruses, to infect and cause disease in target populations. Unlike chemical warfare, biological agents can replicate and spread, posing a different set of challenges for defense and containment.
Routes of Exposure
There are three main routes of exposure for chemical agents: inhalation, skin contact, and ingestion. Inhalation is particularly dangerous for volatile agents that can be easily aerosolized and breathed in. Skin contact requires protective clothing to prevent absorption, and ingestion can occur through contaminated food or water.
Biological Barriers and Inflammation
Our body's first line of defense against pathogens includes biological barriers such as beneficial bacteria which compete with harmful ones, preventing their colonization. When these barriers are breached, inflammation occurs, characterized by swelling, redness, and warmth, triggered by chemicals like cytokines. Inflammation acts as a physical barrier to infection and assists in tissue repair.
Radiological Effects
The effects of radiological exposure can vary from immediate consequences like acute radiation sickness to long-term health issues such as cancer. These are not the same as chemical effects, as they involve ionizing radiation causing cellular and DNA damage rather than chemical interactions.