Structure and Function of Living Organisms:
(8.L.1.1.) Agents of Disease: Spread, Treatment, And Prevention
(8.L.1.2.) Epidemic vs. Pandemic
Student Name: _________________________________
Date: ______________
Multiple Choice
1. When we get sick with a cold or the flu, the ________ system responds and tries to defend our body
against the virus.
a. immune
c. endocrine
b. nervous
d. respiratory
2. Because the common cold is caused by a ______________, it is useless to try to prevent or cure a cold
with antibiotics.
a. virus
c. bacteria
b. fungi
d. inherited trait
3. Infectious diseases are caused by organisms called pathogens. Pathogens can be bacteria, viruses, fungi, or
protists. One common disease caused by a fungus is
a. the flu
b. HIV/AIDS
c. athlete's foot
d. Parkinson’s disease
4. This infectious disease is transmitted by a virus. Symptoms may vary, from a stuffy nose to coughing and a
fever. This disease basically attacks the mucous membranes of the nose and throat but can attack the
entire respiratory system. This infectious disease is
a. asthma
c. strep throat
b. diabetes
d. the common cold
5. This infectious viral disease has many symptoms, from chills, fever, and aching muscles
to coughing and sneezing to nausea and vomiting. It is highly infectious; many people
get a injection to protect them from this disease. It is transmitted through the air,
from person to person, by coughing and sneezing. This infectious disease is
a. asthma
c. strep throat
b. the flu
d. the common cold
6. Which is a characteristic of a virus, but NOT a bacterium?
a. capsid (protein coat)
c. damages the cells in a body
b. causes illness
d. transmitted in food and drink
7. Insects such as the mosquito have shown to be major contributors to the spread of
certain diseases. If the mosquito feeds off a infected individual, many parasites can
survive in the mosquito and then be passed on to the host for the mosquitos next
meal. Which of these types of diseases would NOT be able to be spread by a
mosquito?
a. bacterial
c. protists
b. genetic
d. viral
8. Carl's throat hurt. He could not swallow to eat so his mother took him to the
doctor's. Doctor Roberts swabbed Carl's throat and rubbed the swab on a Petri
dish. "What's that for?" asked Carl. Doctor Roberts told him that many time
severe sore throats are caused by a specific __________ and culturing Carl's
throat will help to identify it.
a. bacteria
c. protozoa
b. fungi
d. virus
9. Wilts, wood rot, sooty molds, rusts, and smuts. These are all types of plant diseases caused by
a. fungi
c. bacteria
b. viruses
d. other plants
10. Scientists today have few drugs that can work directly on pathogenic viruses to help people afflicted with
viral diseases such as hepatitis. Which of these would be the MOST promising method of developing a new
type of drug to attack invading viruses?
a. explore ways to restrict viruses from moving
b. develop drugs that interfere with the metabolism of viruses
c. explore ways to dissolve or breech the outer cell membrane of viruses
d. develop drugs that may block the ability of a virus to attach to its host target cell
11. This is a non-contagious disease of the nervous system that occurs when certain nerve
cells in the brain stop functioning properly, affecting the muscular system. There is
currently no cure for
a. AIDS
c. diabetes
b. asthma
d. Parkinson’s disease
12. A (n) _______________ is an injection of weakened or dead viruses or bacteria, or pieces of proteins
from weakened or dead viruses or bacteria. It is given to help the immune system of people "learn" how to
defeat the real virus or bacteria.
a. antibiotic
c. pathogen
b. antibody
d. vaccine
13. This is a contagious disease caused by bacterial infection. Symptoms include fever, pain, redness, and
swelling of the throat and tonsils. This disease is
a. asthma
c. strep throat
b. the flu
d. a common cold
14. Germ theory that states that microorganisms, which are too small to be seen without the aid of a
microscope, can invade the body and cause certain diseases. In the late 1800's this theory lead to a simple
practice that saved thousands of lives in hospitals throughout the country from post-operative infections.
This practice was
a. giving healthy people vaccines
d. covering wounds with
b. using anesthesia during surgery
sterilized dressings
c. using nurses to assist the doctors
15. Antibodies are proteins produced by lymphocytes as a result of an immune response. The
antibodies can fight
a. only viral infections
b. only bacterial infections
c. both viral and bacterial infections
d. neither viral nor bacterial infections
16. The HIV virus, the virus which causes AIDS, can be transmitted by many different means. All BUT one is a
proven way for the HIV virus to be spread and that is
a. mosquito bites
d. sharing needles through intravenous
b. blood transfusion
drug use
c. sexual intercourse
17. Herpes is categorized as a
a. bacterium
c. spore
b. mold
d. virus
18. There are many different types of warts. Some occur on feet and fingers; others,
like these filiform warts, normally occur on the face and neck. Regardless of the
type, warts are caused by
a. bacteria
c. protists
b. fungi
d. viruses
19. Antibiotics are most effective in killing
a. bacteria
c. leeches
b. fungi
d. viruses
20. A vaccine puts into the body weakened/dead pathogenic material, which by itself is incapable of causing
disease. How does this help to protect the body in the case of infection by a live pathogen?
a. A vaccine causes the elimination of antibodies from blood thus protecting the body at the time of
an infection.
b. A vaccine injects weakened/dead pathogenic material which fights the live pathogen at the time of
an infection.
c. A vaccine causes the secretion of antigens which remain in blood and fight the pathogen at the time
of an infection.
d. A vaccine causes the secretion of antibodies which remain in blood and fight the pathogen at the
time of an infection.
21. For hundreds of years, people died from simple infections. One scientist, Fleming,
helped us survive infections when he discovered
a. germs
c. smallpox vaccine
b. penicillin
d. disinfectant
procedures
22. Unfortunately, cancer now affects more people than ever. The same is true for certain types of heart
disease. Despite this recent rise, neither is considered to be an epidemic or a pandemic. Why is this?
a. Because they are not true diseases
b. Because cancer and heart disease are not infectious
c. Because cancer and heart disease are very infectious
d. Because the spread of the diseases is not wide enough
23. The flu is a disease caused by the flu virus. Many other diseases, like pneumonia, are caused by bacteria. Do
all microorganisms cause harm to the human body?
a. No, only the flu virus can cause harm to the human body.
b. No, many microorganisms, like those in your gut, are beneficial.
c. Yes, any microorganism that enters your bloodstream will be harmful.
d. Yes, any microorganism that comes in contact with your skin will be harmful.
24. For decades, children suffered from this deadly disease. One of the U. S. presidents was
even struck down with the disease. Relief came when Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for
a. polio
c. all germs
b. smallpox
d. strep throat
25. Here is a hypothetical situation:
In the next town over, a serious outbreak of the flu has occurred. So many residents are infected that it
has become an epidemic. As a concerned citizen, you want to come up with a plan to try and stop the same
thing from happening in your city.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Out of the ideas below, which would be BEST?
a. Vaccinate no one, instead use penicillin to treat the sick
b. Vaccinate a few people in your city as quickly as possible
c. Vaccinate all the people in your city as quickly as possible
d. Vaccinate the people in the other city as quickly as possible
The 1950's saw an epidemic of the disease called polio. By1952 it was killing more
of them than any other disease. Early in the 1950's, most researchers
experimented with the dangerous, live vaccine. In one test, six children were killed
and three left crippled. Jonas Salk, the scientist who developed the vaccine for
polio, vaccinated himself and his family with ________ during his studies of the
disease.
c. the dead virus
a. antibiotics
b. a similar virus
d. blood from a polio-stricken child
An epidemic is happening when the number of cases of a disease is much higher than normal. For example, if
the number of students at your school sick with strep throat is far higher than it has ever been, then your
school is going through one. Similar to epidemics, ____________ occur when the number of cases of a
disease are much higher than normal over a very large area, or even globally.
a. epidemics
c. indemnics
b. pandemics
d. panic attacks
Pandemics and epidemics are similar phenomena. The main difference is that ___________ occur over a
localized area, and ___________ occur over an extremely large area.
a. epidemics; pandemics
c. epidemics; indemnics
b. pandemics; epidemics
d. pandemics; indemnics
In many cases, it is possible to contain an epidemic. This is not true for a pandemic. Why is it so much
harder to contain a pandemic?
a. The diseases that cause pandemics are far more virulent than those that cause epidemics.
b. The diseases that cause pandemics are resistant to any type of vaccination or treatment.
c. A pandemic has already spread across continents, or even the whole globe, making the idea of
containing it impractical, if not meaningless.
d. An epidemic has already spread across continents, or even the whole globe, making the idea of
containing it impractical, if not meaningless.
Some epidemics are not caused by viruses, and so vaccination will not stop their spread. One method to
contain such an epidemic involves setting up a quarantine zone, where the _____________ of those in a
specific area is restricted.
a. communication
b. movement
c. reproduction
d. treatment
Short Answer
31. What is an epidemic?
32. What is a pandemic?
33. What is a fungus?
34. What is a virus?
35. What is a bacterium?
36. What is a parasite?
37. How can you stop the transmission of viral diseases?
38. How do fungi reproduce?
39. What happens when a virus invades a host cell?
40. How can you prevent the spread and transmission of disease?
41. Name different ways a disease can be spread or transmitted.
42. How do you treat a bacterial infection?
43. How does a fungus reproduce?
44. How do fungi spread disease?
45. How can parasites cause infection?
46. Why do parasites need a host?
47. What is microbiology?
48. What is a vaccine?
49. What is direct contact?
50. What is indirect contact?