4.1 pathogens and communicable diseases

Question 1

what is a disease?

Answer 1

a disease is a condition that impairs the normal functioning of an organism

Question 2

which organisms can get diseases?

Answer 2

plants and animals can get diseases

Question 3

what is a communicable disease?

Answer 3

a communicable disease is a disease that spreads between organisms

Question 4

what is a pathogen?

Answer 4

a pathogen is a disease-causing organism

Question 5

what examples of pathogens?

Answer 5

pathogens include bacteria, fungi, protoctista and viruses

Question 6

what diseases are caused by bacteria?

Answer 6

tuberculosis, bacterial meningitis and ring rot in plants are caused by bacteria

Question 7

what organisms does tuberculosis affect?

Answer 7

tuberculosis (TB) affects animals, mainly humans and cattles

Question 8

what is tuberculosis?

Answer 8

tuberculosis is a disease that affects many parts of the body, killing the cells and tissues?

Question 9

what does tuberculosis mainly affect?

Answer 9

tuberculosis mainly affects the lungs

Question 10

what is bacterial meningitis?

Answer 10

bacterial meningitis is a disease that affects the meninges

Question 11

what is the meninges?

Answer 11

the meninges is the membrane that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord

Question 12

which organism does bacterial meningitis affect?

Answer 12

bacterial meningitis affects humans

Question 13

what are ring rots in plants?

Answer 13

ring rots are a ring of decay in the vascular tissue of a potato tuber or tomato, accompanied by leaf wilting

Question 14

what organisms do ring rots affect?

Answer 14

ring rot affects potatos and tomatoes

Question 15

what diseases are caused by viruses?

Answer 15

HIV/AIDS, influenza and tobacco mosaic virus are caused by viruses

Question 16

what are HIV/AIDS

Answer 16

HIV/AIDS are diseases that attack cells in the immune system and compromises the immune response

Question 17

what organism does HIV/AIDS affect?

Answer 17

HIV/AIDS affects humans

Question 18

what is influenza?

Answer 18

influenza is a disease which attacks the respiratory system and causes muscle pains and headaches

Question 19

what organisms does influenza affect?

Answer 19

influenza affects animals, including humans

Question 20

what is the tobacco mosaic virus?

Answer 20

the tobacco mosaic virus is a disease which causes mottling and the discolouration of leaves

Question 21

which organisms does the tobacco mosaic virus affect?

Answer 21

the tobacco mosaic virus affects plants

Question 22

what diseases are caused by fungi?

Answer 22

black sigatoka, ring worms and athlete’s foot are caused by fungi

Question 23

what is black sigatoka?

Answer 23

black sigatoka is a disease that causes leaf spots on banana plants reducing yield

Question 24

what organism does black sigatoka affect?

Answer 24

black sigatoka affects banana plants

Question 25

what organisms do ringworms affect?

Answer 25

ringworms affect cattle

Question 26

what is athlete’s foot?

Answer 26

athlete’s foot is the growth of fungi under the skin of feet - particularly between toes

Question 27

what organism does athlete’s foot affect?

Answer 27

athlete’s foot affects humans

Question 28

what diseases are caused by protoctists?

Answer 28

potato/tomato late blight and malaria are caused by protoctists

Question 29

what is late blight?

Answer 29

late blight is a disease that affects both leaves and potato tubers

Question 30

what organisms does late blight affect?

Answer 30

late blight affects potatoes and tomatoes

Question 31

what is malaria?

Answer 31

malaria is a parasite in the blood that causes headache and fever and may progress to coma and death

Question 32

what organisms does malaria affect?

Answer 32

malaria affects animals, including humans

Question 33

what are the ways that communicable diseases can be transmitted?

Answer 33

communicable diseases can be transmitted directly or indirectly

Question 34

what is direct transmissions?

Answer 34

direct transmission is when a disease is transmitted directly from one organism to another

Question 35

what are the ways that direct transmission can happen?

Answer 35

direct transmission can happen in several ways including:

• droplet infection (coughing or sneezing)
• sexual intercourse
• touching an infected organism

Question 36

what diseases are directly transmitted?

Answer 36

HIV and athlete’s foot are directly transmitted

Question 37

what is indirect transmissin?

Answer 37

indirect transmission is where a disease is transmitted indirectly from one organism to another via an intermediate

Question 38

what are examples of intermediates?

Answer 38

intermediates include:

• air
• water
• food
• another organism (also known as a vector)

Question 39

what diseases are indirectly transmitted?

Answer 39

potato / tomato late blight and malaria are indirectly transmitted

Question 40

what factors affect disease transmission?

Answer 40

living conditions, climate and social factors can affect disease transmission

Question 41

what living conditions can increase the transmission of communicable diseases?

Answer 41

overcrowded living conditions can increase the transmission of communicable diseases