Chapter 5 - Communicable diseases Flashcards
What is health?
the state of physical and mental wellbeing
What are communicable diseases?
that are spread from person to person
What are the 4 things communicable diseases be caused by?
bacteria
fungi
viruses
parasites
What can communicable diseases be described as?
contagious or infectious
What are 2 examples of communicable diseases?
measles &a malaria
What are non communicable diseases?
that cannot spread from person to person.
What are 2 properties of non communicable diseases?
last for a long time & get worse gradually
What are 3 examples of non communicable diseases?
asthma, cancer, coronary heart disease
What is a pathogen?
a microorganism that can cause a disease
Why do people with a weak immune system have a higher chance of suffering from communicable diseases?
their body is less likely to be able to defend itself against the pathogen that causes the disease
How could a person have a increased chance of getting liver cancer?
if the person has some types of hepatitis virus, it can cause long term infections in the liver, where the virus lives in the cells.
How can allergic reactions be triggered?
immune system reactions in the body caused by infection by a pathogen can sometimes trigger skin rashes or worsen symptoms of asthma
How can depression be triggered?
when someone is suffering from severe physical health problems, especially if they have an impact on the persons everyday life
What are 3 other factors that can affect your health?
- your diet
- stress
- life situation: easy access to medicines? access to things prevent from getting ill?
Are pathogens communicable or non communicable?
communicable
What type of living organisms are affected by pathogens?
plants and animals
What are bacteria and how can they make you ill?
very small cells which can rapidly reproduce inside your body
by producing toxins that damage your cells and tissues
Are viruses cells?
NO
can virsuses reproduce rapidly?
hell yeah
How do viruses make you feel ill?
they live inside your cells and replicate themselves using the cells’ machinery to produce many copies of themselves. the cell will usually then burst releasing all new viruses
protists are _____celled ________
single, eukaryotics
What are parasites?
a type of protists that can live on or inside other organisms and cause them damage. They are often transferred to the organism by a vector, which doesn’t get the disease itself (e.g.: an insect that carries the protist)
are fungi single called or do they have bodies?
both
What is the fungi’s body made out of?
hyphae (thread like structure)
How can hyphae make you ill? (2 ways)
they can grow and penetrate human skin and the surface of plants, causing diseases. they can also produce spores which can spread to other plants and animals
What are the 3 ways pathogens can be spread?
- water: drinking or bathing in dirty water (e.g.: cholera)
- air: droplets produced by coughs or sneezes are carried in the air and can be breathed in (e.g.: influenza virus)
- direct contact: touching contaminated surfaces, including skin or touching the same surfaces as an infected person (e.g.: athletes foot)
How can you grow an uncontaminated culture of microorganisms?
sterlise the petri dish, pour the hot agar gel, let it cool & set, then add the microorganism
What is a culture medium?
a liquid gel containing nutrients provided to the microorganisms in order to grow
Where can contamination come from?
your skin, air, soil, water around you
What is 1 disadvantage of growing bacteria?
risk that a mutation (change in DNA) will take place and produce new and dangerous pathogens
Why should bacterial cultures be incubated at a max. temp. of 25 degrees?
to reduce the likelihood of pathogens growing that might be harmful to humans