Chapter 5 - Communicable Diseases

Question 1

Define what is meant by ‘good health’.

Answer 1

• Good health is a state of physical, social, and mental wellbeing, not just the absence of illness or infirmity.

Question 2

Give 3 factors that can reduce a persons health.

Answer 2

• Diet
• Stress
• Life Situations

Question 3

What is a communicable disease?

Answer 3

A disease that are caused by pathogens and transmitted from person to person.

Question 4

Name the 4 types of pathogens.

Answer 4

• Virus
• Bacteria
• Protist
• Fungi

Question 5

How does bacteria cause disease?

Answer 5

Bacteria splits into 2 (binary fission), and produce toxins that can make you feel ill or directly damage your cells.

Question 6

An example of a virus is AIDS. Explain how the virus is caused.

Answer 6

• Viruses take over cells in your body, living and reproducing inside the cells, damaging them.

Question 7

Give 3 ways communicable diseases are able to spread.

Answer 7

• By air
• By direct contact
• By water

Question 8

Explain how a virus can be spread through the air.

Answer 8

• Infected people emit tiny droplets of pathogens when the cough, sneeze or talk. Other people would then breath in these droplets, causing them to be infected (droplet infection).

Question 9

Who was Ignaz Semmelweis?

Answer 9

• A doctor in the 1850’s who had invented the idea of hand-washing to prevent spread of infection.

Question 10

Name 4 ways that you can apply hygiene.

Answer 10

• Washing hands
• Using disinfectants on surfaces.
• Coughing/sneezing into a tissue
• Keeping raw meat away from uncooked food.

Question 11

Why is a patient infected with a disease isolated?

Answer 11

• To prevent the infected individual from passing the disease on.

Question 12

State the symptoms of measles and how to prevent it’s spread.

Answer 12

• A fever and a red skin rash.

- Isolation of infected people and vaccination.

Question 13

State the symptoms of gonorrhoea and how to prevent it.

Answer 13

• Thick yellow discharge from genitals
• Pain when urinating.
• Use of contraception and reduction of sexual activity.

Question 14

State how malaria is spread and how it is prevented.

Answer 14

• Malaria is spread through mosquitos.

- Use of mosquito nets and anti-mosquito spray.

Question 15

Give 2 ways that skin protects itself from pathogens.

Answer 15

• The skin acts as a barrier

- The skin produces antimicrobial secretions, destroying pathogens

Question 16

Give 2 ways that the respiratory system protects from pathogens.

Answer 16

• Hairs in the nose producing mucus, trapping pathogens in the sticky liquid.
• The trachea and bronchi’s lining is covered in cilia, which pushes any mucus back up to the throat.

Question 17

How does the stomach protect from pathogens?

Answer 17

• Production of acid to kill pathogens.

Question 18

White Blood Cells are useful for defending against pathogens. State how it does this.

Answer 18

• WBC’s ingest pathogens and produced antibodies and antitoxins.

Question 19

State 4-6 ways that the immune system defends itself from tuberculosis.

Answer 19

• The skin stops the bacteria entering the body (1)
• Mucus/cilia trap the bacteria. (1)
• WBC’s engulf the bacteria (1)
• WBC’s releases antitoxins and antibodies (1)
• Blood clots to prevent bacteria entering through skin. (1)
• Stomach produces acid, killing bacteria in food (1)