Communicable disease

Question 1

what are pathogens

Answer 1

microorganisms that enter the body
cause communicable (infectious) diseases that can spread
can infect both plants and animal cells
can be bacteria or viruses or protists or fungi

Question 2

what are bacteria and what can they do

Answer 2

very small living cells that can reproduce rapidly

make you feel ill by producing toxins that damage you cells and tissues

Question 3

what are viruses and what can they do

Answer 3

not cells - much smaller
can produce rapidly
like inside cells and replicate themselves using cells' machinery to produce copies
cells burst when releasing viruses
cell damage makes you feel ill

Question 4

what are protists and what can they do

Answer 4

single-celled eukaryotes
parasites that live on or inside other organisms and can cause damage
often transferred to the organism by a vector that doesn’t get the disease itself

Question 5

what is fungi and what does it do

Answer 5

single-celled
body made of hyphae which produce spores
grow and penetrate human skin and plant surface causing disease

Question 6

name and describe the three different ways pathogens can be spread

Answer 6

water - drinking or bathing in dirty water - cholera
air - breath - cough or sneeze
direct contact - touching contaminated surfaces