Biology
Write short notes (2-3 sentences) on the following :
(a) Disease
(b) Immunisation
(c) Pathogen
(d) AIDS
(e) Vaccination
(f) Vector
Answer
(a) Disease — Disease is a departure from normal health through structural or functional disorder of the body. There are two major categories of diseases — Communicable or infectious diseases and Non-Communicable or non-infectious diseases.
(b) Immunization — Immunization is an artificial way of achieving protection from infections by the introduction of dead or weakened germs into one's body. Immunization is a process by which the body of an individual is made resistant to a specific disease by vaccination.
(c) Pathogen — Communicable diseases are caused due to microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, worms and protozoa. The disease causing germs are called pathogens. Pathogens spread from one person to other through air, water, food, physical contact, cuts, sexual contact and from insects like mosquitoes, flies, etc.
(d) AIDS — AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. It is caused by the HIV virus. It weakens the immunity or self defence mechanism of the human body. AIDS makes the infected person prone to many other infectious diseases. It spreads through sexual contact, blood transfusion and infected syringes.
(e) Vaccination — Vaccination is the practice of artificially introducing germs or germ substances into the body for developing resistance to particular diseases. The material introduced into the body is called the vaccine. When exposed to vaccines, the body makes antibodies and more or less permanent protection from infection is achieved.
(f) Vector — Vectors are those organisms (eg. house flies, mosquitoes, etc.) which carry germs from a source of infection but themselves do not get the infection. For example, mosquitoes while feeding on the blood of a malaria patient, gain the germs in their bodies, and get them transferred in the blood stream of a healthy person whom they bite next.
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Given below is a crossword puzzle. Read the clues across and clues downward, and fill up the blank squares. Check up your answers with the correct solution given at the end.
CLUES ACROSS (1-6)
The kind of pathogen which causes diseases like common cold and mumps.
These may readily grow in your hair, if you do not wash it regularly.
This is the vaccine for preventing tuberculosis.
The disease pertussis is popularly known as whooping ……………
One of the most common insects that visit our exposed foods and contaminate them.
A disease that weakens body's defence system against infections.
CLUES DOWN (7-11)
Germ or germ substances introduced into the body to prevent occurrence of an infectious disease.
A disease in which the eyes, the skin and the urine turn yellow.
An organ usually affected by tuberculosis.
A disease caused by the bite of an infected dog, and which affects the central nervous system.
Cover this part of your body by a handkerchief while sneezing to prevent droplet infection to others.
