Instructions
Read each section carefully and answer the questions to the best of your ability. This worksheet will test your knowledge of human diseases, including the tiny organisms that cause them and how our bodies fight back.
Part 1: Objective Questions
A. Multiple Choice: Circle the best answer for each question.
- Which term describes a microbe that can cause disease?
a) Antibody
b) Pathogen
c) Vaccine
d) Bacteria - Which of the following is considered non-living because it cannot reproduce on its own?
a) Bacterium
b) Fungus
c) Virus
d) Protozoan - What type of medicine is used to treat infections caused by bacteria?
a) Vaccines
b) Painkillers
c) Antivirals
d) Antibiotics - Rod-shaped bacteria are called:
a) Cocci
b) Spirilla
c) Bacilli
d) Vironi - How does a vaccine help your body fight future infections?
a) It kills all bacteria in your body.
b) It teaches your immune system to recognise and destroy a specific pathogen.
c) It is a strong medicine that kills viruses instantly.
d) It provides a permanent shield around your cells. - Which of the following is a non-communicable disease?
a) The common cold
b) Influenza (the flu)
c) Asthma
d) Chickenpox - How is the influenza virus most commonly spread?
a) Through contaminated water
b) Through droplets from coughs and sneezes
c) Through insect bites
d) Through genetics - What part of a virus contains its genetic material (DNA or RNA)?
a) The protein coat (capsid)
b) The inner core
c) The tail fibres
d) The cell membrane - What do your white blood cells produce to fight off pathogens?
a) Antigens
b) Antibiotics
c) Antibodies
d) Antihistamines - An example of helpful bacteria is the kind that:
a) Causes strep throat
b) Lives in your gut and helps with digestion
c) Causes food to spoil
d) Is found in sneezes - Which disease is caused by a virus?
a) Strep throat
b) Food poisoning
c) Tetanus
d) Measles - Malaria is a disease spread by mosquito bites. The mosquito is an example of a:
a) Pathogen
b) Vector
c) Virus
d) Fungus - The protection of a whole community from a disease because a large percentage of people are vaccinated is called:
a) Group protection
b) Herd immunity
c) Social shielding
d) Mass medication - Which of these is a lifestyle factor that can increase the risk of a non-communicable disease?
a) Washing your hands
b) A balanced diet
c) Getting vaccinated
d) Smoking cigarettes - A virus needs a living _____ to replicate.
a) Host cell
b) Antibiotic
c) Vaccine
d) Surface
B. True or False: Write 'T' for true or 'F' for false next to each statement.
- _____ All bacteria are harmful to humans.
- _____ Viruses can reproduce on their own without a host.
- _____ Vaccines contain strong, live pathogens that make you sick.
- _____ Washing your hands is an effective way to prevent the spread of many diseases.
- _____ Diabetes is a communicable disease that you can catch from someone else.
- _____ Antibiotics are very effective at killing viruses like the common cold.
- _____ Non-communicable diseases cannot be passed from one person to another.
- _____ Some diseases, like cystic fibrosis, can be inherited from your parents.
- _____ Bacteria are complex, multi-cellular organisms.
- _____ Chickenpox is caused by a bacterium.
C. Fill in the Blanks: Choose the correct word from the word bank to complete each sentence.
Word Bank: antibodies, hygiene, virus, vaccine, pathogen, communicable, non-communicable, antibiotics, bacteria, immune system
- A disease-causing organism is called a ____________________.
- A ____________________ is a tiny, non-living particle that invades and then reproduces inside a living cell.
- Diseases that can spread from one person to another are called ____________________ diseases.
- ____________________ are medicines used to kill harmful bacteria but are not effective against viruses.
- Your body's natural defence against disease is called the ____________________.
- A ____________________ prepares your body to fight a disease without you actually getting sick from it.
- Heart disease is an example of a ____________________ disease.
- Good personal ____________________, like brushing your teeth and washing your hands, helps prevent the spread of germs.
- ____________________ are special proteins produced by your body to recognise and neutralise specific pathogens.
- Strep throat is an illness caused by a type of ____________________.
D. Matching: Match the disease in Column A with its correct description in Column B. Write the letter of your answer on the line.
Column A
|
Column B
A. A non-communicable disease often caused by genetics or lifestyle. B. A communicable disease caused by a virus. C. A communicable disease caused by bacteria. |
Part 2: Short Answer Questions
Answer the following questions in the space provided. Use complete sentences.- What is the main difference between a communicable and a non-communicable disease?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - Explain why viruses are often considered to be on the border between living and non-living things.
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____________________________________________________________________________________ - What are the three main shapes of bacteria?
____________________________________________________________________________________ - Briefly explain how a vaccine works to protect you.
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____________________________________________________________________________________ - Why does a doctor not prescribe antibiotics for the common cold?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - List two different ways communicable diseases can be spread.
1. __________________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________________ - Give one example of a helpful type of bacteria and explain what it does.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - What is the role of the body's immune system?
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____________________________________________________________________________________ - Name one viral disease and one bacterial disease.
Viral: _________________________ Bacterial: _________________________ - What is a disease 'vector'? Give one example.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - List two personal hygiene habits that can prevent the spread of pathogens.
1. __________________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________________ - What happens inside a host cell after it has been infected by a virus?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - Name one non-communicable disease and one risk factor associated with it.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - What are antibodies?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - What does it mean if a disease is caused by 'lifestyle factors'?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - What are two common symptoms of influenza (the flu)?
1. _________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________ - Why is it important for many people in a community to get vaccinated (herd immunity)?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - Can all diseases be prevented by vaccines? Why or why not?
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____________________________________________________________________________________ - What is the difference between bacteria and a virus in terms of size and structure?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - How can preparing food safely help prevent disease?
____________________________________________________________________________________
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Part 3: Problem Solving
Read the scenarios and use your scientific knowledge to answer the questions.- A student has a very sore throat, fever, and white spots on their tonsils. The doctor takes a swab, does a quick test, and prescribes antibiotics. What type of pathogen (bacterium or virus) likely caused this illness? Explain your reasoning.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - In the space below, draw a simple diagram of a virus. Label its two main parts: the protein coat (capsid) and the genetic material (DNA or RNA) inside.
- An entire class gets sick with a stomach bug two days after a shared class party. Is this likely a communicable or non-communicable disease? Suggest two possible ways it might have spread at the party.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - Look at the diagrams of bacteria shapes below. Write the correct name (cocci, bacilli, or spirilla) under each shape.
Shape A: ( o o o o ) Shape B: ( ~~~~~~ ) Shape C: ( ------- )A: ___________________ B: ___________________ C: ___________________ - A new vaccine for chickenpox is given to a child. In 3-4 simple steps, describe what happens inside the child's body that will protect them from getting chickenpox in the future.
1. __________________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________________________ - A person with a cold sneezes into their hand and then opens a door. A second person uses the same door handle a minute later and then rubs their eyes. Describe two different actions that could have broken this chain of infection.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - Imagine you see a graph. Before the year 1963, the graph shows thousands of cases of measles each year. After 1963, when a vaccine was introduced, the line on the graph drops dramatically to almost zero. What is the most logical conclusion you can draw from this data?
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____________________________________________________________________________________ - Amir has type 1 diabetes. His friend, Layla, has the flu. Can Layla catch diabetes from Amir? Can Amir catch the flu from Layla? Explain your answers.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________ - List three specific lifestyle choices a person could make to lower their risk of developing a non-communicable disease like heart disease.
1. __________________________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________________________ - You are investigating an outbreak of food poisoning. Everyone who is sick ate salad from the same restaurant. What is the likely type of pathogen (bacterium or virus)? List two things you would investigate at the restaurant to find the source.
____________________________________________________________________________________
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Answer Key
Part 1: Objective Questions
A. Multiple Choice: 1. b, 2. c, 3. d, 4. c, 5. b, 6. c, 7. b, 8. b, 9. c, 10. b, 11. d, 12. b, 13. b, 14. d, 15. a
B. True or False: 1. F, 2. F, 3. F, 4. T, 5. F, 6. F, 7. T, 8. T, 9. F, 10. F
C. Fill in the Blanks: 1. pathogen, 2. virus, 3. communicable, 4. antibiotics, 5. immune system, 6. vaccine, 7. non-communicable, 8. hygiene, 9. antibodies, 10. bacteria
D. Matching: 1. B, 2. A, 3. B, 4. A, 5. C
Part 2: Short Answer Questions
(Note: Student answers may vary slightly but should contain the key ideas.)
- A communicable disease can be spread from one person to another, while a non-communicable disease cannot.
- Viruses are considered non-living because they cannot reproduce on their own and don't have their own cells. They are like living things because they contain genetic material and can replicate inside a host cell.
- The three main shapes are spherical (cocci), rod-shaped (bacilli), and spiral (spirilla).
- A vaccine introduces a dead or weakened version of a pathogen (or a part of it) into the body, causing the immune system to create antibodies and memory cells without causing the disease.
- The common cold is caused by a virus, and antibiotics only work against bacteria.
- 1. Through droplets in the air (coughing/sneezing). 2. Through direct contact (touching an infected person) or indirect contact (touching a contaminated surface). (Other answers: contaminated food/water, vectors).
- Bacteria in our intestines (e.g., E. coli) help us digest food and produce vitamins.
- The immune system's role is to defend the body against pathogens and other foreign invaders.
- Viral: Influenza, chickenpox, measles, common cold. Bacterial: Strep throat, food poisoning, tetanus. (Any correct example is fine).
- A vector is a living organism that transmits a pathogen from one host to another. An example is a mosquito spreading malaria.
- 1. Washing hands with soap and water. 2. Covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. (Other answers: not sharing personal items, proper food handling).
- The virus takes over the host cell's machinery to make many copies of itself. Eventually, the cell bursts, releasing the new viruses to infect other cells.
- Disease: Heart disease. Risk factor: Poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking. (Other examples: Type 2 diabetes and obesity).
- Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system that attach to specific pathogens and mark them for destruction.
- It means the disease is caused or made worse by a person's choices and habits, such as diet, exercise level, and smoking.
- 1. Fever/chills. 2. Muscle aches/body aches. (Other answers: cough, sore throat, fatigue).
- It protects vulnerable people who cannot be vaccinated (like babies or the very sick) by making it much harder for the disease to spread through the community.
- No. Vaccines are only made for specific diseases caused by certain viruses and bacteria. They do not work for non-communicable diseases or every type of pathogen.
- Bacteria are much larger than viruses. Bacteria are single-celled living organisms with all the components needed to live, while viruses are just genetic material inside a protein coat.
- It can prevent the spread of harmful bacteria, like Salmonella or E. coli, that cause food poisoning. Cooking food thoroughly kills these bacteria.
Part 3: Problem Solving
(Note: Student answers may vary slightly but should show correct reasoning.)
- The pathogen is likely a bacterium. The reason is that the doctor prescribed antibiotics, which are medicines that work against bacteria, not viruses.
- The drawing should show an outer shape (the protein coat/capsid) with a squiggly line or shape inside (the genetic material), with both parts correctly labelled.
- It is a communicable disease. It could have spread through: 1. Contaminated food or drink at the party. 2. An infected person not washing their hands and then touching shared items/food.
- A: cocci, B: spirilla, C: bacilli
- 1. The vaccine introduces a weakened/inactive form of the chickenpox virus. 2. The child's immune system recognizes it as foreign and produces antibodies and memory cells. 3. If the child is ever exposed to the real chickenpox virus, the memory cells will quickly produce antibodies to fight it off before they get sick.
- 1. The first person could have sneezed into their elbow instead of their hand. 2. The second person could have washed their hands after touching the doorknob and before touching their face.
- The conclusion is that the measles vaccine was highly effective in preventing the measles disease.
- No, Layla cannot catch diabetes from Amir because diabetes is a non-communicable disease. Yes, Amir can catch the flu from Layla because the flu is a communicable disease caused by a virus that spreads through the air.
- 1. Eating a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. 2. Getting regular physical exercise. 3. Not smoking or using tobacco products.
- The likely pathogen is a bacterium (like Salmonella or E. coli). You would investigate: 1. The hygiene practices of the kitchen staff (e.g., handwashing). 2. The source and storage of the salad ingredients (to check for contamination).