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Bio Paper 1 > B5: Communicable Diseases > Flashcards

B5: Communicable Diseases Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a Communicable Disease?

A

A disease caused by pathogens, which can be spread from one person to another.

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2
Q

What is a pathogen?

A

A microorganism which causes a communicable (infectious) disease, examples include bacteria and viruses.

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3
Q

Define health.

A

A state of physical and mental wellbeing.

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4
Q

What can cause diseases?

A

Pathogens (like viruses and bacteria) - communicable
Life situations (stress, poor diet, financial status, gender, where you live) - Non-communicable

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5
Q

What is a defective immune system?

A

An immune system which is not able to fight off viruses or other pathogens effectively (e.g. people with HIV)

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6
Q

What other diseases can physical diseases trigger?

A

Mental diseases (e.g. a person with arthritis cannot move, and thus develop depression due to the inability to lead a normal life)

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7
Q

How do bacteria cause harm to the body?

A

(Once in the body they multiply and, under the right conditions, can divide every 20 mins)
They release toxins which can damage tissues and make us feel ill.

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7
Q

How do viruses cause harm to the body?

A

Viruses can only reproduce inside a host cell - this can damage the cell because when the virus wants to leave the cell, the cell will burst open and die

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8
Q

How can pathogens be spread?

A

Air droplets (influenza)
Water (cholera)
Physical contact (HIV)

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9
Q

How can the spread of pathogens be reduced?

A

Practicing basic hygiene (e.g. washing your hands before eating)
Providing clean drinking water
Use sanitation (e.g. condoms during sex)
Isolating infected patients
Vaccination

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10
Q

Name 2 viral diseases

A

Measles and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)

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11
Q

Why are viruses more dangerous that bacteria?

A

Viruses cannot be killed by antibiotics
(They multiply inside the cell, thus they are are harder to reach without damaging healthy cells)

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12
Q

What are the symptoms of measles?

A

Initial fever
A red skin rash after ~ 3 days

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13
Q

How is measles spread?

A

Air droplets from an infected person.

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14
Q

What are the dangers of measles?

A

Damage to the brain and breathing system.
- In severe cases can be fatal

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15
Q

How is measles treated?

A

Vaccination from a young age.

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16
Q

What are the symptoms of HIV?

A

Flu

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17
Q

How is HIV spread?

A

Physical contact (sex or sharing needles)

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18
Q

What are the dangers of HIV?

A

The symptoms are mild, therefore the patient is unable to tell when the virus is attacking the immune system and, over time, it becomes severely damaged
(At one point it becomes so badly damaged that it cannot fight off other diseases (e.g cancer)(defective immune system)
The patient is now more likely to develop cancer and TB (late stage HIV/ AIDS - fatal)

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19
Q

How is HIV treated?

A

Antiretroviral drugs (stop the virus from multiplying - patient does not develop AIDS)

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20
Q

What is a problem of treating HIV?

A

The patient has to take antiretroviral drugs for the rest of their life.

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21
Q

Name 2 bacterial diseases

A

Gonorrhoea and Salmonella

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22
Q

How is salmonella spread?

A

By ingesting infected food
- prepared in unhygienic conditions

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23
Q

What are the symptoms of salmonella?

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A

Fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea
(caused by toxins released from the bacterium)

24
Where is salmonella found?
Poultry - chickens
25
How is salmonella treated/prevented?
Vaccination Antibiotics Practicing hygiene when preparing food
26
How is gonorrhoea spread?
Physical contact - it is a sexually transmitted disease
27
What are the symptoms of gonorrhoea?
Thick yellow/green discharge from sexual organs Pain when urinating
27
How can gonorrhoea be treated/prevented?
Antibiotic (penicillin, formerly. resistant strains of the bacterium are now common so it's not used anymore) Condoms Isolating infected individuals
28
What is a vector?
An insect/ organism which carries a pathogen, but are not directly infected by it.
29
Name a protist disease
Malaria (communicable, but cannot be passed from person to person, only through vector)
30
What are the symptoms of malaria?
Repeated bouts of fever - malaria can be fatal
31
How is malaria spread?
Through a vector (mosquito) - The mosquito bites an infected person, where the malaria pathogen passes to the mosquito - It then bites another person and spreads the pathogen
32
How can malaria be prevented?
Prevent the vector from breeding (drain areas of still water to prevent mosquitos from breeding/ insecticides) Use a mosquito net
33
Name a viral disease occurring in plants
Tobacco mosaic virus
34
What types of plants does TMV affect?
Tobacco and tomatoes
35
What are the symptoms of TMV?
Discoloration of the leaves Distinct mosaic pattern on the leaf
36
Why is TMV harmful?
The virus destroys the cells in the leaf, meaning the plant is unable to photosynthesise This reduces crop yields
37
How is TMV spread?
Physical contact from infected plants Vectors
38
How can the spread of TMV be prevented?
Pesticides Good field hygiene (TMV can remain infectious in soul for ~ 50 years)
39
Name a fungal infection occurring in plants
Rose black spot
40
What type of plant can rose black spot affect?
Rose bushes
41
What are the symptoms of rose black spot?
Black/ purple spots on the leaves - often turn yellow and drop off (thus no photosynthesis and no flowering)
42
How is rose black spot spread?
Air - wind Spread over the plant after rain Dormant spores reside in dead leaves and stems
43
What is a non-specific defence system?
A system whose job is to prevent pathogens from entering the human body
43
How can rose black spot be prevented?
Burning dead plant matter Fungicides Destroy infected leaves
44
What are the 4 main parts of the non-specific defence system?
Skin Nose Lungs Stomach
45
How does the skin prevent pathogens from harming the body?
It forms a protective layer - outer layer consisting of dead cells - making it difficult for pathogens to penetrate Contains sebum which kills bacteria When penetrated, it scabs over
46
How does the nose protect from pathogens?
Hair + mucus - trap pathogens which try to enter the body
47
How do the lungs protect from pathogens?
Trachea and bronchi are covered with cilia (covered in mucus - trap pathogens) They now waft the mucus upwards to the throat where it is swallowed into the stomach
48
How does the stomach protect from pathogens?
Contains hydrochloric acid - kills pathogens before they make their way into the digestive system
49
What is the immune system?
The system which destroys pathogens and the toxins they produce Also protects against the same type of pathogen, in case is invades again in the future
50
What does the immune system involve?
White blood cells
51
How can WBCs protect against pathogens?
Phagocytosis - ingest and destroy pathogens using enzymes Antibodies - protein molecules produced, each is specific to the type of disease and they can remain in the blood for a long time (we can be protected if we encounter the same pathogen again) Antitoxins - chemicals which stick to toxin molecules and prevent them from damaging cells
52
What are 3 types of responses plant have against attack(?)?
Physical response Chemical response Mechanical response
53
Other than pathogens, what else can plants be attacked by?
Insects Herbivores (animals)
54
What is are some physical responses?
Cell wall - difficult for microorganisms to penetrate Waxy cuticle layer on leaves - also difficult to penetrate Layer of dead cells (bark) - difficult to penetrate
55
What are some chemical responses?
Antibacterial chemicals - kill bacteria Poisons - deter herbivores

Bio Paper 1 (8 decks)

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