Communicable disease

Question 1

What is a pathogen?

Answer 1

A pathogen is a micro-organism that enters the body to cause disease.

Question 2

Name the 4 main pathogens

Answer 2

Bacteria
Virus
Protist
Fungi

Question 3

Bacteria :

Answer 3

They are very small cells
They reproduce rapidly and release toxins (poison) into the body.
This causes damage to cells and tissues in the body, causing people to feel ill.

Question 4

Viruses:

Answer 4

They are not cells and are very tiny.
They reproduce rapidly in the body
They live inside the cells and use the cell’s machinery to replicate themselves a lot.
The cell eventually burst to release all the new viruses
The cell damage causes people to feel ill.

Question 5

Protists:

Answer 5

They are eukaryotes and unicellular (single-celled)
A type of protest is a parasite
A parasite is a pathogen that lives on or inside an organism and causes damage.
Parasites are transferred through vectors.

A vector is an organism that carries the protest but doesn’t get the disease itself.

Question 6

Fungi:

Answer 6

Pathogens that have bodies with thread-like substances called hyphae
The hyphae penetrate human skin and plant surfaces
Spores are created to help the fungi spread to other organisms.

Question 7

What are the three ways pathogens can be spread?

Answer 7

Air
Water
Direct contact