SB5 - Health, Disease and the Development of Medicines Flashcards
Define ‘health’
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
What is a ‘disease’?
A disease is a condition where part of an organism doesn’t work properly
What are communicable diseases?
A disease that can spread between individuals
What are communicable diseases usually caused by?
Bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites
What are non-communicable diseases?
Diseases that cannot be spread from person to person
What are two types of causes for non-communicable diseases?
Genetics and lifestyle factors
What type of disease, communicable or non-communicable, generally lasts a long time and gets worse slowly?
Non-communicable
True or False: If a person has AIDS, they have an increased chance of suffering from diseases like flu
True
Explain why a person that has AIDS has an increased chance of suffering from diseases like flu
A person with AIDS is less able to fight off the pathogen that causes flu because their immune system is weakened by the HIV virus
What do we call organisms that cause disease?
Pathogens
What is meant by the term ‘sexually transmitted infection’?
A pathogen that is transmitted through bodily fluids during sexual intercourse / activity
True or False: Both animals and plants can be infected by organisms that cause diseases
True
Explain why bacteria such as ‘Salmonella’ make you feel ill
They produce toxins (poisons) inside the body that damage cells and tissues
What communicable disease is caused by ‘Helicobacter pylori’ bacteria?
Stomach ulcers
True or False: Viruses are cells
False
How do viruses replicate?
They live inside body cells and replicate using the cell’s machinery to produce many copies of themselves
How do viruses spread within the body?
Infected cells eventually burst and release the new viruses into the tissue and / or blood
What makes you feel ill when you have a viral infection?
The cell damage caused by infected cells bursting
Name the virus that infects and destroys the white blood cells that normally help fight infections
HIV
What are protists?
Eukaryotic organisms that are usually unicellular
What are parasites?
Organisms that live on or inside other organisms and can cause them damage
What disease is caused by a protist that lives inside a mosquito through part of its life cycle?
Malaria
How do fungi, made up of hyphae (thread-like structures), cause disease in animals and plants?
The hyphae grow and penetrate the skin or surface of plants causing disease. The hyphae can produce spores which can be transferred to other plants and animals
Give an example of a plant disease caused by fungi
Chalara ash die-back disease
Give an example of a human disease caused by fungi
Athlete’s foot, thrush, ringworm
State five methods that pathogens are spread
- Drinking and bathing in dirty water
- Airborne (carried in the air)
- Swallowing contaminated water or food
- Bodily fluids (e.g. blood, vomit, saliva)
- Animal vectors transmit pathogens
What disease is caused by ‘Mycobacterium tuberculosis’?
Tuberculosis (TB)
Which bacterial disease causes symptoms of coughing, lung damage, weight loss and coughing up blood?
TB
How is the bacteria ‘Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ spread?
Through the air in droplets that are sprayed out when a person coughs and sneezes
What could infected individuals do to reduce the spread of a pathogenic bacteria?
- Isolate themselves
- Avoid crowded public spaces
- Sleep alone
- Practice good hygiene - cover mouth and nose with tissue when coughing and sneezing, disposing of tissues in a bin
- Good ventilation can reduce likelihood of transmission
What disease is caused by the bacterium “Vibrio Cholerae”?
Cholera
What are the main symptoms of an infection caused by “Vibrio cholerae”?
Diarrhoea that lasts for a few days leading to severe dehydration and ultimately, if untreated, death
How is the pathogen “Vibrio cholerae” spread?
Through contaminated water sources
Explain why most cases of cholera occur in developing countries
Clean water is not widely available in many developing countries