Infectious Diseases (Cambridge International AS Biology)
Spec point —
10.1.1· state that infectious diseases are caused by pathogens and are transmissible
Infectious diseases
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A disease is an illness or disorder of the body or mind that leads to poor health
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Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens and are transmissible
- Transmissible means they can be spread between individuals within a population
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Infectious, or communicable, disease | Diseases caused by pathogens that can be transmitted from infected to uninfected people. Some can transmit from animals to people, or people to animals | Cholera Tuberculosis (TB) Malaria HIV/AIDS |
| Non-infectious disease | Diseases that are not caused by pathogens, but that may instead be inherited, or related to lifestyle factors or life events | Lung cancer Sickle cell disease Depression Coronary heart disease |
Common Pathogens & Their Diseases
Spec point — state the name and type of pathogen that causes each of the following diseases: • cholera – caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae • malaria – caused by the protoctists Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium vivax • tuberculosis (TB) – caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis • HIV/AIDS – caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Common pathogens & their diseases
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Examples of infectious diseases of worldwide importance are
- Cholera
- Malaria
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- HIV/ AIDS
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The number of people infected with these diseases across the world remains very high
- These diseases pose serious public health problems
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These diseases are all caused by pathogens
- Understanding the pathogen and its method of transmission are important in reducing the spread of disease
| Disease | Pathogen | Type of organism |
|---|---|---|
| Cholera | Vibrio cholerae | Bacterium |
| Malaria | Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivax | Protist |
| TB | Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis | Bacterium |
| HIV/AIDS | Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) | Virus |
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