Study Guide Diseases
Fill in the Blank.
1. An organism that is too small to be seen without a microscope is called a microorganism.
2. Infectious diseases can be passed from one organism to another.
3. The two scientists who showed that microorganisms cause diseases were Pasteur and Lister.
4. Lister was a scientist who discovered that killing microorganisms could prevent spread of disease and that
sterile conditions are best for surgery.
5. Koch was the scientist who discovered that specific infectious diseases are caused by specific pathogens.
6. A pathogen is anything that can cause a disease.
7. Four major groups of human pathogens include viruses, bacteria, fungi and protists.
8. A contagion is a disease that is or may be transmitted by direct or indirect contact.
9. A mutagen is anything that can change genetic material. An example is UV rays.
10. Pathogens can spread by person to person, contaminated objects, animal bites, or from the environment.
11. An epidemic is a disease affecting a local population, community, or region.
12. A pandemic is an infectious disease occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally
high proportion of the population. Three examples of plague pandemics include bubonic plague, pneumonic
plague, and septicemic plague.
13. The Black Plague of 14th century Europe killed 1/4 of the entire European population.
14. Bacteria are protected by three layers called the cell membrane, cell wall, and the capsule.
15. Bacteria are both dangerous and useful because they can reproduce very rapidly.
16. Antibiotics can only kill bacteria.
17. Antibiotic resistance is demonstrated when a bacterial infection is no longer affected by antibiotics.
18. Lyme Disease is caused by bacteria which is carried by ticks.
19. Insects that carry diseases are called vectors because they do not get sick.
20. Tetanus is caused by bacteria and is found on rusty metal.
21. Viruses are enclosed in a tough capsid covering. Although viruses are not living, they do take over the DNA
of the host cell.
22. Viruses are smaller than bacteria.
23. Viruses have an inner protein coat and an outer envelope which make up the capsid that is covered with
spikes. Inside they carry DNA orRNA with which they take over the machinery of the host cell to make new
viruses.
24. The common cold, influenza, and chicken pox are all caused by viruses.
25. West Nile is caused by a virus and carried by mosquitoes. Rabies is caused by viruses and carried by
mammals.
26. An organism that carries a disease and is also sick is called a carrier.
27. AIDS is caused by the virus called HIV which stands for Human Immuno-deficiency Virus.
28. Fungi are slightly larger than bacteria and prefer moist environments.
29. Athlete’s Foot is caused by Fungi .
30. Ringworm is caused by Fungi
31. One type of protozoan (animal-like protist) that has a changing body shape and moves using a pseudopod is
called an amoeba.
32. Paramecium has a cigar-shaped body, two nuclei and moves using cilia.
33. Euglena can do photosynthesis and uses flagella to move.
34. Volvox are tiny protozoans that live in large spherical colonies.
35. African Sleeping Sickness is caused by protozoa and carried by tse tse fly.
36. Malaria is caused by protozoa and carried by mosquitoes.
37. Three bad ingredients in a cigarette are (pick any three) (various).
38. Three problems that affect babies of women who smoked during pregnancy include miscarriage, placental
abruption and premature birth. (or learning disabilities)
39. Second hand smoke contains over 400 chemicals and can cause infections and even cancer.
40. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is damage to the fetus due to consuming alcohol by a pregnant woman.
41. Three diseases caused by poor diet include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and kidney disease.
42. Three environmental causes of disease include air pollution, water pollution and chemicals.
43. The Great Smog Disaster of 1952 in London killed 4000 people.
44. The number one way we can protect ourselves from disease is to wash our hands.
45. The intensity and duration of having contact with any substance is called exposure.
46. The power or effectiveness of a chemical is called its potency.
47. How much of a chemical is required to kill an organism is called its toxicity.
48. When toxicity levels exceed the threshold, organisms will die.
49. How much of a chemical is received is called its dose.
50. The amount of chemical compared to a volume of liquid is called the percent concentration.
51. The individual make-up of an organism and how it responds to a chemical is called its individual
susceptibility.
52. We are omnivores. We cannot digest cellulose which is found in cell walls so we eat other animals
(herbivores) to obtain the nutrients stored in plants.
53. Our diets should contain vitamins like C, B12, D and K and minerals like Calcium and iron.
54. The RDA refers to the Recommended Daily Allowance of nutrients to stay alive.
55. The respiratory system works by breathing in oxygen which enters the blood and then is transported to the
cells where it is used to make ATP. Hemoglobin is the name of the molecule that carries oxygen in the blood.
56. Ebola is caused by virus and has a 21 day incubation period.
57. Ebola can be contracted by coming in direct contact with body fluids of a person showing symptoms.