Communicable Diseases, Disease Prevention and the Immune System

Question 1

What are some examples of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria?

Answer 1

• Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - a type of Gram positive bacteria
• Escherichia coli (E.coli) - a type of Gram negative bacillus bacteria found in our gut that is sometimes pathogenic

Question 2

What are some examples of diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria?

Including which kingdoms the diseases affect and common symptoms

Answer 2

• Tuberculosis (TB) - Affects animals and causes a persistent cough, chest pain and a fever
• Ring rot - Affects plants and causes wilting, rotting of tubers and discoured vascular tissue

Question 3

What is the basic structure of a virus?

Answer 3

• They are around 50 times smaller than bacterial cells
• They consist of some genetic material, such as DNA and RNA, surrounded by a protein coat
• All viruses are pathogenic; those that infect bacteria are known as bacteriophages

A virion is a pathogen that exists outside of an organism and is capable of infecting living cells and becoming a virus

Question 5

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