Health, disease and medicine

End of Chapter Questions

1. a. Deficiency Disease- Anemia- It is caused due to lack of iron in the diet. As iron is
needed for the production RBC, lack of it results in tiredness as the cells become
deficient in oxygen.

b. Inherited disease – Cystic Fibrosis – It is caused be a recessive gene that produces an

abnormal protein, which triggers the production of too much and too thick mucus. The
mucus makes it difficult for the oxygen to diffuse into the blood causing tiredness. Also
bacteria often breed in the mucus.

c. A degenerating disease – Osteoporosis – it is caused by a lack of calcium in the diet

and as a result the bone becomes more porous, which means it takes longer for bones to
heal if they are broken.

D. An infectious disease – Malaria – It is caused by the virus plasmodium, which uses

mosquitoes as a vector. The symptoms include a severe fever and shaking.

2. a. You can only get the measles once and the cold flu more than once because there is
only one type of virus that causes measles which means that the memory cells would be
able to secrete their antibodies as soon as the virus is present and can therefore prevent
the infection. But you can get the flu many times because there are many different kinds
of virus’ that causes the flu. This means that there might not be a memory cell in the body
that is able produce the right type of antibody for that particular strain of the flu virus.
Therefore it takes time for the lymphocytes to identify the antigen and then produce the
corresponding antibody to destroy the virus.

b. Babies that are fed on breast milk are less susceptible to disease that to ones that drink
formula milk because breast milk contains antibodies which allows them to fight diseases
faster and better.

c. Transplants are more likely to successful if the donor is a relative because they are
likely to have antigens similar to the recipient, so the receipts immune system is less
likely to reject the transplant and attack it.

d. There is no use in trying to treat a cold with antibodies because cold is caused by virus’
not bacteria.

3. Life-styles can affect a persons health. For example if a person takes in too much lipids
and cholesterols, then the artery walls become stiffer. If this happens to the coronary
arteries then the heart muscles doesn’t get enough oxygen to respire. The cardiac muscle
could stop resulting in a heart attack or in a cardiac arrest. Alcohol can also cause
problems. It makes people feel more relaxed. However alcohol is a depressant, it slows
downs the rate at which the nervous system works and lengthens the time it takes for you
to respond to a stimulus. This is why drink driving is not allowed. Alcohol can also cause
a person to become more aggressive and violent. If taken in excess, it affects the cardiac
muscle and the liver, and it can to death. Drugs like heroin also cause problems as they
powerful depressants and they cause the sensation of euphoria. Regular intakes of it
causes you to become addicted and then death.

4. a. A pathogen is a living organism which can cause a disease whereas a antigen is an

antigen is a cell or other substance that is recognized as foreign by the bodys white blood
cells.
b. An antibody is a substance that is produces by the WBC and can destroy pathogens,
whereas an antibiotic is a drug that kills bacteria.
c. A stroke takes place when a blood vessel leaks or a blood clot is formed in the brain. A
heart attack happens when the heart beat stops.
d. Bacteria have cytoplasm and a cell wall made of chitin whereas Viruses only the
genetic material enclosed in a protein coat.
e. A phagocyte is a WBC that has a large lobbed nucleus and is able to destroy pathogens
by engulfing them. The lymphocyte however has a large round nucleus that is able to
produce antibodies that are able to kill the pathogen.
F. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus, which is a virus that causes AIDS after
about ten years.

5a. At first symptoms occur 2 weeks after the bacteria has entered the body. An ulcer is
formed where the bacteria entered the body. This disappears after 2 months. But then the
bacteria spread all over the body. Then you get headaches, soar throats and a fever.
Eventually this symptoms also disappear. But the bacteria continue to destroy the vital
organs such as the brain and heart.

b. HIV is transmitted through blood transfusions, sexual intercourse and From the mother
through the placenta and breast milk. It can be prevented by checking blood that is
donated and by using contraceptives.

c. AIDS is caused by a virus and syphilis is caused by a bacteria.

6.a. AIDS – virus (HIV)

Gonorrhea – bacteria
Syphilis – bacteria

b. AIDS can not be treated by antibiotics.

7. a. artery
b. P=lumen, Q= Thick elastic wall with muscles.
c. Cholesterol can cause heart disease, cardiac arrest and stokes.
d. A person who has eaten a lot of fats and read meat, then cholesterol builds up inside the
artery walls and making them narrower.

8. a. i. M
ii. There is too much glucose in the urine which means it has not been stored in the liver.
b. L, Excess of protein is present in the urine.

9.a. A bacteria contains all the organelles and has a cell wall, whereas a virus contains just
a protein coat and genetic material.

b. i. the virus that causes AIDS is called HIV.

ii. AIDS can be spread through blood transfusions, sexual intercourse and From the
mother through the placenta and breast milk.

10. a. i. a bacteria
ii. cell wall of chitin, flagellum, and cytoplasm
b. binary fission.
c. Organism Q contains a resistant strain of the virus which has mutated so that it not
affected by the antibiotics.
d. They are advised to continue to take the treatment till the end because the bacteria can
lie dormant for some time before acting again.