Chapter 5: Communicable diseases

Knowledge organiser

Communicable diseases Detection and identification of plant diseases

Communicable diseases can be spread from one organism to another. Signs that a plant is diseased Ways of identifying plant diseases
• stunted growth • gardening manuals and websites
Viruses live and reproduce rapidly inside an organism’s cells. This can damage or destroy the cells. • spots on leaves • laboratory testing of infected plants
Spread by Symptoms • areas of rot or decay • testing kits containing monoclonal antibodies
Vir uses • growths (Chapter 9 Monoclonal antibodies)
• fever
inhalation of droplets produced by • malformed stems or leaves
• red skin rash
measles infected people when sneezing and
• complications can be fatal – young children are vaccinated • discolouration
coughing
to immunise them against measles • pest infestation
Plant defences
• flu-like symptoms at first
HIV (human • sexual contact
• virus attacks the body’s immune cells, which can lead to Physical barriers
immunodeficiency • exchange of body fluids (e.g., blood
AIDS – where the immune system is so damaged that it
virus) when drug users share needles) • cellulose cell walls – provide a barrier to infection
cannot fight off infections or cancers Plant diseases and insects • tough waxy cuticle on leaves
• direct contact of plants with
TMV (tobacco infected plant material • mosaic pattern of discolouration on the leaves – where Plant diseases can also be sharp
• bark on trees – a layer of dead cells that can fall off
chlorophyll is destroyed directly caused by insects. mouthpiece
mosaic virus – • animal and plant vectors
Chemical barriers
plants) • soil: the pathogen can remain in soil • reduces plant’s ability to photosynthesise, affecting growth Aphids are insects that
• many plants produce antibacterial chemicals
for decades suck sap from the stems of plant
stem • poison production stops animals eating plants
plants. This results in
• reduced rate of growth Mechanical adaptations
Bacteria reproduce rapidly inside organisms and may produce toxins that damage tissues and cause illness. aphid
• wilting • thorns and hairs stop animals eating plants
Spread by Symptoms Prevention and treatment • discolouration of leaves. • leaves that droop or curl when touched to scare
ria
B acte Salmonella bacteria and the Ladybirds can be used to control aphid infestations as herbivores or dislodge insects
toxins they produce cause ladybird larvae eat aphids. • some plants mimic the appearance of unhealthy
bacteria in or on food that • fever poultry are vaccinated against or poisonous plants to deter insects or herbivores
Salmonella
is being ingested • abdominal cramps Salmonella bacteria to control spread
• vomiting
• diarrhoea

direct sexual contact – • thick yellow or green

• treatment with antibiotics (many Controlling the spread of communicable disease
antibiotic-resistant strains have
gonorrhoea is a sexually discharge from the vagina There are a number of ways to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases from one organism to another.
gonorrhoea appeared)
transmitted disease or penis
• barrier methods of contraception, Hygiene Isolation Controlling vectors Vaccination
(STD) • pain when urinating
such as condoms Hand washing, disinfecting Isolation of infected If a vector spreads a Vaccination can protect
surfaces and machinery, individuals – people, disease destroying or large numbers of
keeping raw meat separate, animals, and plants can be controlling the population individuals against
i Spread by Symptoms Prevention and treatment covering mouth when isolated to stop the spread of the vector can limit the diseases.
Fung coughing/sneezing, etc. of disease. spread of disease.
• purple or black spots on leaves,
• fungicides
which turn yellow and drop early
rose black spot water and wind • affected leaves removed and
• reduces plant’s ability to
destroyed
photosynthesise, affecting growth
Key terms
Make sure you can write a definition for these key terms.

sts Spread by Symptoms Prevention and treatment aphid bacterium communicable disease fungicide fungus
Proti
mosquitos feed on the blood of infected people isolation mimic pathogen protist
• recurrent • prevent mosquito vectors
and spread the protist pathogen when they feed breeding sexually transmitted disease (STD) toxin vaccination vector virus
episodes of
malaria on another person – organisms that spread
fever • mosquito nets to prevent bites
disease by carrying pathogens between people
• can be fatal • anti-malarial medicine
are called vectors
Chapter 5: Communicable diseases
Retrieval questions
Learn the answers to the questions below then cover the answers column
with a piece of paper and write as many as you can. Check and repeat.

B5 questions Answers
a disease that can be transmitted from one organism to
1 What is a communicable disease?
another

2 What is a pathogen? a microorganism that causes disease

Put paper here

3 Name four types of pathogen. bacteria, fungi, protists, viruses

4 How can pathogens spread? air, water, direct contact

5 How do bacteria make you ill? Put paper here produce toxins that damage tissues

reproduce rapidly inside cells, damaging or

6 How do viruses make you ill?
destroying them

7 Name three examples of viral diseases. measles, HIV, tobacco mosaic virus
Put paper here

8 Name two examples of bacterial diseases. Salmonella, gonorrhoea

Name four methods of controlling the spread of good hygiene, isolating infected individuals, controlling
9
communicable disease. vectors, vaccination
malaria – caused by a protist pathogen that is spread
Put paper here

10 Describe an example of a protist disease. from person to person by mosquito bites, and causes
recurrent fevers
rose black spot – spread by water and wind, and
11 Describe an example of a fungal disease in plants. affects lant ro th by red c n a lant s ab l ty to
photosynthesise
Put paper here

gardening manuals and websites, laboratory testing,

12 o can the ca se of a lant d sease be dent ed
monoclonal antibody kits
What are three mechanical defences that protect thorns and hairs, leaves that droop or curl, mimicry to
13
plants? trick animals
Put paper here

14 Give three physical defences of plants. cellulose cell walls, tough waxy cuticles, bark on trees

15 How can aphids be controlled by gardeners? introduce ladybirds to eat the aphids

areas of decay, discolouration, growths, malformed

16 How can plant diseases be detected? stems or leaves, presence of pests, spots on leaves, and
stunted growth