BIOLOGY NOTES

Why do we fall ill?

Q1.
What do you mean by health?
Ans: Health is a state of physical, mental and social well being.
Q2. What does WHO stand for?
Ans: World Health Organization.
Q3. Name one sexually transmitted disease
Ans: AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
Q4. How does WHO define health?
Ans: WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and well being
and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity.
Q5.
What are vectors?
Ans: The organisms that act as intermediaries and carry the infectious agents from
a sick person to a potential host are called vectors.eg: mosquito.
Q6. Expand HIV
Ans: Human immunodeficiency virus
Q7. What is the name of the disease that occurs in people who only eat
polished rice every day?
Ans: Beri beri
Q8. What is an antibiotic? Give two examples
Ans: Antibiotic is a chemical substance secreted by microorganisms which can kill
the bacteria. For example, penicillin and streptomycin.
Q9. Name any two groups of microorganisms from which antibiotics could
be extracted.
Ans: Bacteria and fungi
Q10. Who discovered vaccine for the first time? Name any two diseases
which can be prevented by using vaccines.
Ans: Edward Jenner. Small pox and polio can be prevented by using vaccines.
Q11. What is a balanced diet?
Ans: A balanced diet is one which contains a variety of food in such quantities and
proportions that the need for energy, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, water and
roughage is adequately met for maintaining health, vitality and general well being.
Q12. What are the two basic principles of prevention of infectious
diseases?
Ans: The two basic principles of prevention of infectious diseases are:
(A) To prevent exposure to infectious microbes.

(B) To provide proper nutrition to keep the immune system in a healthy state.
Q13. What is the mechanism of action of antibiotics?
Ans: Antibiotics are chemical substances obtained from some microbes, which stop
the growth of specific kind of pathogens. They block certain biochemical pathways
important for the lifecycle of pathogen.
For example, penicillin does not allow cell wall formation in some bacteria. It blocks
chemical reaction required for cell wall formation.
Q14. What are the immediate and the contributory causes of disease?
Ans: Immediate cause of disease is the infecting organism like bacteria, virus,
protozoans, fungi, etc whereas contributory causes of disease are other factors
like lack of good nourishment, unhygienic conditions, etc
Q15. Difference between communicable and non communicable diseases.
Ans:
Communicable Diseases
Non communicable diseases
These diseases can be transmitted from These diseases cannot be transmitted
an infected person to a healthy person.
These are spread by micro-organisms These are caused by deficiency of
called pathogens.
nutrients or hormone, tumor formation
etc.,
e.g. Cholera, influenza, AIDS, malaria e.g.,
Diabetes, marasmus, goiter,
etc.,
cancer etc.,
Q16. Name the diseases caused by the following- (A) protozoa, (B) virus,
(C) bacteria and (D) fungi. How is malaria transmitted?
Ans: The diseases caused by various microorganisms are as follows:
(A) Protozoa: malaria, amoebiosis, dysentery, kala azar, etc
(B) Virus: aids, polio, dengue, rabies, chicken pox, Influenza, etc
(C) Bacteria: pneumonia, diphtheria, tuberculosis, meningitis, leprosy, typhoid,
tetanus, syphilis, etc
(D)Fungi: A fungus mainly causes skin diseases and food poisoning.
Malaria is caused by a parasite found in female anopheles mosquitoes. When the
mosquitoes carrying the malarial parasite bite a person, the parasite enters the
blood stream and the person suffers from malaria.
Q17.Why are overcrowded and poorly ventilated areas a major factor in
the spread of airborne disease?
Ans : Airborne diseases are spread through air. In overcrowded and poorly
ventilated areas, if an infected person sneezes or coughs , little droplets are thrown
out and when a person standing nearby breathes in these droplets, the microbes
get a chance to start a new infection.
Q18.How do children in many parts of India get immune to hepatitis A by
the time they are 5 years old?
Ans: Because the children are exposed to hepatitis A virus through water and the
body develops immunity to the virus.
Q19.How can the functioning of the immune system be improved?

Ans: By providing proper and sufficient nourishment and food.

Q20.How does a vaccination protect a person suffering from a disease?
Ans: Vaccination provides immunity against subsequent infection.
Q21.Name the causal organism of AIDS. Why a person suffering from AIDS
cannot fight even very minor infection?
Ans: AIDS is caused by a virus known as human immune deficiency virus.
When a person is infected by HIV then the persons immune system fails and cannot
fight any infection and may die even from a minor infection.
Q21.What is immunization? List 2 diseases against which vaccines are
available.
Ans: Immunization is the production of immunity in an individual by artificial
means. Vaccines are available against Tuberculosis and Polio.
Q22.A mother who had suffered from chicken pox in her childhood is now
taking care of her child who is suffering from the same disease. What are
the chances of her mother having chicken pox? Explain.
Ans : The mother will not have chicken pox. When the mother was infected by
chicken pox her immune system responded against it and remembers it specifically.
Now, while taking care of her child when the chicken pox microbe enters mothers
body, the immune system responds with great force and kills the microbes.
Q23.Write the symptoms and disease associated with the following
a. The microbe attacks the lungs
b. When the virus enters the liver
Ans: a. The symptoms are cough, fever, chest pain and the disease associated can
be tuberculosis.
b.The symptoms are head ache, high fever, loss of appetite, nausea and the disease
can be jaundice.
Q24.It is diagnosed that Seema suffers from malaria. Which organ of
Seema is affected?
Ans: Spleen and liver are affected by Malaria.
a. Malaria is caused by protozoan, plasmodium.
b. High fever with alternate feeling of hot and cold are the symptoms of Malaria.
25.How principle of immunization is implemented for eliminating polio?
Ans: When our immune system first notices an infectious microbe, it responds
against it. When the particular microbe enters the body for the next time, the
immune system responds quickly with greater vigour. This eliminates the infection
more quickly than the first time. In a polio vaccine, non harming ultra low dose of
polio virus is injected
into our body which activates our immune system against polio virus