Communicable Diseases B5

Flashcards about communicable diseases, including pathogens, symptoms, prevention, and treatments.

Communicable disease

A disease that can be transmitted from one organism to another.

Pathogen

A microorganism that causes disease.

Four types of pathogens

Bacteria, fungi, protists, viruses

How pathogens spread

Air, water, direct contact

How bacteria make you ill

Produce toxins that damage tissues

How viruses make you ill

Reproduce rapidly inside cells, damaging or destroying them

Three examples of viral diseases

Measles, HIV, tobacco mosaic virus

Two examples of bacterial diseases

Salmonella, gonorrhoea

Four methods of controlling the spread of communicable disease

Good hygiene, isolating infected individuals, controlling vectors, vaccination

Malaria

Caused by a protist pathogen that is spread from person to person by mosquito bites and causes recurrent fevers.

Rose black spot

Spread by water and wind, and affects plant growth by reducing a plant’s ability to photosynthesize.

How plant diseases can be detected

Areas of decay, discolouration, growths, malformed stems or leaves, presence of pests, spots on leaves, and stunted growth

How the cause of a plant disease can be identified

Gardening manuals and websites, laboratory testing, monoclonal antibody kits

Vectors

Organisms that spread disease by carrying pathogens between people.

Fungicide

A chemical that kills fungi.

Toxin

Poisonous substance produced by bacteria or other microorganisms.