Infectious Disease
Contrast infectious and non-infectious disease
Infectious diseases are caused by infectious agents (pathogens) and can be passed from one organism (human, animal) to another. Infectious diseases should be stopped by the immune system.
Non-Infectious diseases are not caused by pathogens and cannot be passed from one organism to another (except for genetic diseases).
Define the term pathogen
A pathogen is a disease causing agent, such as ⤵️
Compare the features of viruses, bacteria, protozoans and fungi
| Name | Bacteria | Protozoa | Viruses | Fungi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single/Multicellular | Unicellular | Unicellular | N/A Genetic Material | Multicellular |
| Prokaryotic/Eukaryotic | Prokaryotic | Eukaryotic | ” “ | Eukaryotic |
| Shapes | Spherical, curved, rodlike | Variable | Rods, Spheres | Variable |
| Habitat | Everywhere | Moist environments; Inside Organisms | Inside organisms; up to a day outside | (Almost) everywhere in nature; the body |
| Infection Through | Wounds, ingestion, inhalation, bacterial imbalance in body | Digestive tract, blood, other | Respiratory, infected surfaces, contaminated foods and liquids, | Inhalation or through skin |
| Infection Method | Invade cells, damage tissues, produce harmful toxins | Deprive host’s cells of nutrients, killing them | Use host’s cells to reproduce killing other cells in the body | IDK |
| Treatment | Antibiotics | Medication | Vaccines | Antifungal creams/medication |
| Prevention | Improved sanitation and hygiene | Improved sanitation and hygiene | Improved sanitation and hygiene | Avoiding contact with infected people/animals and fungi. |
| Example | Stephylococcus (golden steph) | Plasmodium (malaria) | COVID-19 | Tinea Pedis (athlete’s foot) |
Identify some examples of diseases and pathogens from each category
Bacteria: Stephylococcus (golden steph)
Protozoa: Plasmodium (malaria)
Viruses: COVID-19, Influenza
Fungi: Tinea Pedis (athlete’s foot)
Bonus: How Infectious Diseases Spread from Person-to-Person
Non-Infectious Disease
Describe the causes of non-infectious diseases, including genetic disorders, immune system malfunction, environmental diseases
The human body is so complex there are thousands of ways it can malfunction, but non-infectious diseases fall broadly into several categories:
- Diet
- Lifestyle
- Genetic
- Environmental
Identify the cause, symptoms, treatment and prevention of one non-infectious disease
Cystic fibrosis
Cause: Genetics - If both parents carry the gene, there is a 1 in 4 chance of having cystic fibrosis.
Symptoms: It increases the mucus lining of the respiratory system. It reduces the patient’s ability to breathe and participate in daily activities.
Treatment: There are no known cures for cystic fibrosis and many patients die before the age of 30. Cystic fibrosis can be managed with respiratory therapy such chest therapy: hitting the front and back of chest to loosen mucus.
Prevention: There is no way of preventing cystic fibrosis.
Have you even seen Gattaca?
Relate how the values and needs of contemporary society can influence the focus of scientific research on a lifestyle disease
People today - want to live long as possible. They pay BIG dollars to get medicine to help live as long as possible. Drug companies hire scientists and pay them to make drugs that make people live longer.
