Topic 5 - Health And Disease

Question 1

Health

Answer 1

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely (just) the absence of disease or infirmity.

Question 2

Communicable diseases

Answer 2

Can spread between individuals in a population, contagious or infectious diseases.

Question 3

Non-communicable diseases

Answer 3

Those that can’t spread between individuals. Generally last for a long time and get worse slowly.

Question 4

Causes and examples of communicable diseases

Answer 4

• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Fungi
• Parasites
• Protists

Examples: Tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, STI’s

Question 5

Causes and examples of non-communicable diseases

Answer 5

• Environmental factors
• Genetic factors

Examples: asthma, cancer (not HPV), coronary heart disease

Question 6

What makes an individual more susceptible to disease?

Answer 6

• Aging
• Poor nutrition
• Weakened immune system/immunocompromised
• Genetics
• Poor state of health
• Exposure to chemicals e.g. carcinogens
• Other infections

Question 7

Pathogen

Answer 7

A microorganism that causes a disease.
• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Protists
• Fungi

Question 8

Cholera

Answer 8

Type of pathogen: Bacteria
How they are spread: Water
Symptoms: Diarrhoea
How to prevent/reduce transmission: Make sure that people have access to clean water supplies.

Question 9

Tuberculosis

Answer 9

Type of pathogen: Bacteria
How are they transmitted: Airbourne
Symptoms: Coughing and lung damage.
How to prevent/reduce transmission: Infected people should avoid crowded public spaces, practise good hygiene and sleep alone. Their homes should also be well ventilated.

Question 10

Malaria

Answer 10

Type of pathogen: Protist
How are they transmitted: Animal vectors
Symptoms: Damage to red blood cells and in severe cases, to the liver.
How to reduce/prevent transmission: Avoid bites using nets/ repellents. Antimalarial drugs.

Question 11

HIV

Answer 11

Type of pathogen: Virus
How are they transmitted: Direct contact.
Symptoms: Mild flu like symptoms. Destroys white blood cells, leading to onset of AIDS.
How to reduce/prevent transmission: Antiviral drugs. Contraception.

Question 12

Chlamydia

Answer 12

Type of pathogen: Bacteria
How are they transmitted: Direct contact
Symptoms: Burning pain when urinating. Forms a thick yellow or green discharge from a persons penis or vagina. Bleeding between periods. Swollen testicles.
How to prevent/reduce transmission: Antibiotics.

Question 13

Chalara ash dieback

Answer 13

Type of pathogen: Fungi
How are they transmitted: Airborne
Symptoms: Causes leaf loss and bark lesions.
How to reduce/prevent transmission: Removing, young, infected ash trees and replanting with different species. Restricting the import or movement of ash trees.

Question 14

Physical barriers to stop pathogens entering the body?

Answer 14

• Skin = Physical barrier to stop infection. If cut/grazed scalp form immediately.
• Mucus = Mucus and hairs in your nose trap pathogens.
• Cillia = Cilliated cells waft mucus and pathogens to the stomach.

Question 15

Chemical barriers to stop pathogens entering the body?

Answer 15

• Lysosomes = Enzymes that destroy bacterial cells by breaking down their cell walls. Found in saliva, breast milk, mucus and tears.
• Hydrochloric acid = Nothing to do with breaking down food. The acid destroys pathogens.

Question 16

Specific immune response

Answer 16

Two types of white blood cells:
1) Phagocyte - Engulfs and destroys the pathogen (phagocytosis)
2) Lymphocyte:
• Every pathogen has unique molecules on its surface called antigens.
• When lymphocytes come across an antigen on a pathogen, they start to produce proteins called antibodies.
• Antibodies bind to the pathogen, so it can be found and destroyed by other white blood cells.
• The antibodies produced are specific to that pathogen.
• The antibodies are then produced rapidly and flow all round the body to find all similar pathogens.
• After all the pathogens are destroyed, some lymphocytes remain in the blood as memory lymphocytes.
• If you are infected again with the same pathogen, the memory lymphocytes will produce a much more rapid and larger immune response.

Question 17

Process of long-term immunity by vaccination

Answer 17

• Future infection by the same pathogen will trigger a response that is much faster and much larger compared to the initial response.
• This is because after the first infection memory cells and antibodies remain circulating in the blood stream and so the memory cells are produced if the antigen is encountered again and antibodies are produced much faster.
• Due to the rapid nature of the response, the pathogen is unable to cause disease and the individual is said to be immune.

Question 18

Why can antibiotics only be used to treat bacterial infections?

Answer 18

Because they inhibit cell processes in the bacterium but not the host organism.

Question 19

Vaccine

Answer 19

An injection that contains a weak/dead form of a pathogen.
It triggers and immune response.
• Lymphocytes produce antibodies specific to the antigens on the pathogen.
• Memory lymphocytes remain in the blood so that if a second infection occurs lymphocytes can produce antibodies quicker and in a shorter time period.

Question 20

Stages of drug testing

Answer 20

Pre-clinical
Animal testing
Clinical
Large clinical

Question 21

Pre-clinical

Answer 21

The pre‐clinical stage of testing is done on cells or tissues in the lab to find out whether the medicine gets into diseased cells and has the desired effect.

Question 22

Animal testing

Answer 22

Testing may be carried out on animals to find out how the medicine affects the body systems, without risking human health.

Question 23

Clinical

Answer 23

A small clinical trial is carried out on a few healthy people to find out whether the medicine is safe for humans to take and that harmful side affects are limited.

Question 24

Large clinical

Answer 24

A large clinical trial is carried out with many people with the disease to find out the right dose to use and whether different people have different side effects.

Question 25

Control variables for clinical trials

Answer 25

• Sample size - the larger the sample size the less impact random variation can have on the results.
• Placebo/blind trials - so the patients aren’t influenced and you know any side effects are a result of the drug.
• Use of controls - during a clinical trial the patients are split into two groups, one group receiving the new medicine and the other group receiving the current treatment or a dummy pill (placebo)

Question 26

Non communicable diseases

Answer 26

There are several different types of non-communicable diseases.
• One type is genetic disorders caused by faulty alleles of genes. These can be passed to offspring but not to any other person.
—> Sickle cell anaemia, dimentia, outsimas.
• Other NCDS occur as a result of poor diet of malnutrition. This occurs when someone obtains too little or too many nutrients from food. This leads to specific deficiency diseases.
—> Cardiovascular diseases

Question 27

Risk factors to non-communicable diseases

Answer 27

• Smoking
• Obesity

Question 28

Protein

Answer 28

Disease: Kwashiorkor
Symptoms of disease: Enlarged belly, small muscles, failure to grow properly.
Good sources in diet: Red meat, Nuts, Dairy, Fish, Chicken

Question 29

Vitamin C

Answer 29

Disease: Scurvy
Symptoms: Swelling and bleeding gums, muscle and joint pain, tiredness.
Good sources in diet: Citrus fruits and some vegetable.

Question 30

Vitamin D and/or calcium

Answer 30

Disease: Rickets or osteomalacia.
Symptoms: Soft bones, curved leg bones.
Good sources in diet: Fish, Egg yolk, Dairy

Question 31

Iron

Answer 31

Disease: Anaemia
Symptoms: Red blood cells that are smaller than normal and in reduced numbers, tiredness.
Good sources in diet: Red meat, green leafy vegetables, egg yolk.

Question 32

3 problems associated with drinking alcohol and who it affects

Answer 32

1) The person = Alcoholic liver disease can cause sickness, weakness and swelling of legs and feet.
2) Their families = Up to 14 million working days are lost each year by people drinking too much alcohol.
3) Society = The NHS spends about £2700 million each year treating people with liver disease.

Question 33

What has the government done to reduce smoking?

Answer 33

• Packets are now unbranded and have pictures to put people off.
• Become really expensive.
• Highly taxed.
• Advertising and promoting campaigns to stop smoking.

Question 34

What has the government done to reduce sugar?

Answer 34

• Sugar tax

Question 35

Local effects of non-communicable diseases

Answer 35

In areas where there are high levels of obesity, smoking or excess alcohol consumption, there’s likely to be a high occurrence of certain non-communicable diseases. This can put pressure on the resources of local hospitals.

Question 36

National effects of non-communicable diseases

Answer 36

National health services provides the resources for the treatment of patients all over the Uk. Sometimes people suffering from a non-communicable disease may not be able to go to work. A reduction in the number of people able to work can effect a country’s economy.

Question 37

Global effect of non-communicable diseases

Answer 37

Non-communicable diseases are very common and are the number one cause of death worldwide. In developing countries, malnutrition is also a big problem because people are not able to access enough food. The high costs and occurrence of these diseases can hold back the economy or a country - so they have an effect at a global level.

Question 38

Factors contributing to cardiovascular diseases?

Answer 38

• Smoking - raises blood pressure, makes clots more likely to form.
• Obesity
• High blood pressure - greater strain on the heart muscle.
• Diet - malnutrition caused by a diet that is high in sugars and fat.
• Hereditary
• Stress - raises blood pressure.
• Sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise - weakens heart

Question 39

Cardiovascular disease

Answer 39

• Cholesterol is a fatty substance that the body needs to make things like cell membranes.
• But too much cholesterol in the blood can cause fatty deposits to build up in arteries, restricting blood flow.
• Deposits occur in areas where the artery wall has been damaged, e.g. by high blood pressure,
• The fatty deposits can trigger blood clots to form which can block blood flow completely.
• If this happens the heart muscle will be deprived of oxygen. This causes a heart attack.
• A blockage in the brain deprives the brain of oxygen and can cause a stroke.

Question 40

Treatments to cardiovascular disease

Answer 40

• Life style changes
• Life long medication
• Surgical procedures

Question 41

Lifestyle changes

Answer 41

• Stop smoking
• Maintain a balanced diet
• Increase exercise
To reduce blood pressure to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.

+ Reduces chance of getting cardiovascular disease.
+ Doesn’t need drugs or surgery (free and lacks danger)
- Can be difficult for people to loose weight or give up smoking,

Question 42

Life long medication

Answer 42

Statins - reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood stream, slows down rate at which fatty deposits form.
Anticoagulants - Drugs which make blood clots less likely to form.
Antihypertensives - reduce blood pressure.

+ Simple and effective treatment.
+ No risk of surgery.
- Side effects
- Not suitable for everyone
- People can forget to take them.

Question 43

Surgical procedures

Answer 43

• Stents - A stent is inserted into the blood vessel and is expanded. The stent widens the blood vessel and allows for greater blood flow through the blood vessel which means more oxygen is delivered to body organ.
• Coronary bypass surgery - if part of a blood vessel is blocked, a piece of healthy vessel taken from elsewhere can be used to bypass the blocked section.
• Donor heart

+ Effective treatment -makes clots less likely.
- Surgeries are dangerous, especially if people are overweight.