5.2 Pathogens and disease

Question 1

What are pathogens

Answer 1

microorgainsms that cause disease

Question 2

Give examples of pathogens

Answer 2

bacteria, viruses, protists, fungi

Question 3

What are communicable diseases

Answer 3

directly by a pathogen or by a toxin made by a pathogen

Question 4

Examples of communicable diseases

Answer 4

cold, tonsillitis, tetanus, influenza, HIV/AIDS

Question 5

What are the differences between bacteria and viruses?

Answer 5

• Bacteria are single-celled organisms and smaller than animal and plant cells, digest food or medicines - insulin, treat sewage.
• Viruses are smaller than bacteria, regular shapes

Question 6

How do pathogens cause disease

Answer 6

• Bacteria divide rapidly by splitting in two, produce toxins, making you feel ill, sometimes directly damaging cells
• Viruses take over cells, live and reproduce inside cells, damaging and destroying them
• can cause high temperatures, headaches, rashes

Question 7

How are pathogens spread by air and what can they cause

Answer 7

• carried and spread from one organism to another in the air
• When you are ill, you expel tiny droplets full of pathogens from breathing system
• Breathe in droplets along with pathogens, picking up infection
• flu, tuberculosis, cold

Question 8

How can direct contact cause pathogens to spread

Answer 8

• direct contact, infected organism to healthy one
• Sexually transmitted infections, by direct contact of skin
• Pathogens enter through sexual contact, cuts, scratches and needle punctures

Question 9

How can water spread pathogens

Answer 9

• Fungal spores carried in splashes of water
• raw, undercooked or contaminated food, drinking water containing sewage
• diarrheal diseases, cholera, salmonella

Question 10

what is a toxin

Answer 10

harmful chemcial produced by a microorganism