Communicable diseases

• What are pathogens?


  Microorganisms that can easily cause diseases
• What type of diseases do pathogens cause?


  Communicable diseases that can easily spread
• Can both plants and animals be infected by pathogens?


  Yes, both can be infected by pathogens
• How are bacteria described in terms of size?


  Very small living cells, about the size of body cells
• How do bacteria make you feel ill?


  By producing toxins that damage cells and tissue
• What are viruses in relation to cells?


  Viruses are not cells and are much smaller than bacteria
• How much smaller are viruses compared to bacteria?


  1/100 the size of bacteria
• How do viruses replicate?


  They live in cells and replicate themselves until the cell bursts
• What causes illness when infected by viruses?


  Cell damage caused by the replication of viruses
• What are protists?


  Single-celled eukaryotes
• What is a characteristic of some protists?


  Some protists are parasites that live inside other organisms
• How are protist parasites transferred to other organisms?


  By vectors such as mosquitoes or lice
• What is a characteristic of fungi?


  They come in different shapes, some single-celled and others as hyphae
• How do hyphae affect human skin and plants?


  They grow and penetrate human skin and the surface of plants
• What do fungi produce to spread to other plants and animals?


  Spores
• What are the different ways pathogens can be spread?


  • WATER: Drinking or bathing in dirty water (e.g., cholera)
  • AIR: Carried and breathed in, including droplets from coughs/sneezes (e.g., colds)
  • DIRECT CONTACT: Touching contaminated surfaces or skin
• What disease is associated with drinking dirty water?

  Cholera
• How can pathogens be transmitted through the air?


  By being carried and breathed in, including droplets from coughs or sneezes
• What is an example of direct contact transmission of pathogens?


  Touching a contaminated surface or skin