Plant + animal disease

Question 1

Why are plant diseases harmful?

Answer 1

Crop fail -> people suffer

Starve/economies struggle -> loss of jobs

Threaten entire species

Question 2

Examples of plant diseases:

Answer 2

Ring rot: bacterial disease (potatoes, tomatoe)
–> gram positive bacteria
Damages leaves, -> destroy 80% crop

TMV: virus 150 species, damages leaves + stunts growth

Potatoe blight: protocist –> hyphae penetrate host cell

Black sigatoka: fungus, hyphae turn bana leaf black

Question 3

Why are animal disease harmful?

Answer 3

Affect health, wellbeing, national economies

Question 4

Examples of animal bacterial disease:

Answer 4

TB: destroy lung tissue + supress immune system –> body less able to fight off disease.

Bacterial meningitis: infection on membrane of brain –> can cause blood poisoning –> blotchy red/purple rash.
–> vaccines

Question 5

Examples of viral animal diseases:

Answer 5

HIV/AIDS
Target T-Helper cells in immune system. Passed around via body fluids
–> antiretroviral drugs slow progress of disease.

Influenza: infection of ciliated epithelial cells in gas exchange systems.
Leaves airways open to secondary infection

Question 6

Examples of protoctist diseases

Answer 6

Malaria: spead by bite of infected mosquitoes. Invades RBC, liver + brain.
–> No cure: destroyed by insecticides

Question 7

Examples of fungal diseases:

Answer 7

Ring worm: causes grey-white crusty infection circular areas of skin
–> anitfungal creams sued to heal

Athlete’s foot: grows+digests on moist skin between toes.–> causes cracking + scaling –> itchy + sore

Question 8

How can pathogens be identified?

Answer 8

Cultured in lab + identified using microscope.

Monocloncal antibodies: used to identify pathogenic organisms in plants+animals

DNA sequencing -> pathogens identified precisely to single mutation