Biology communicable and non-communicable diseases

• Health is the condition of someone’s mental and physical wellbeing. Diseases cause ill health
• Communicable diseases are diseases that can be spread from person to person or animal to people. These are caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi
• Communicable diseases are also called infectious or contagious diseases
• Measles and malaria are communicable diseases
• Non-communicable diseases are diseases that cannot be spread from person to person. They last for a long time and get worse slowly
• Asthma, coronary heart disease and cancer are non-communicable diseases
• People who have weak immune systems have more chance of developing a communicable disease because their body is less likely to fight the pathogen off
• Hepatitis virus can cause long term infections in the liver, where the virus lives. This can increase chance of developing liver cancer.
• HPV can lead to cervical cancer
• Immune system reactions caused by pathogens can lead to skin rashes and worsen the symptoms of asthma
• Good and balanced diets increase physical and mental well being
• Stress an effect your overall health
• Buying health food increases physical and mental well being.
• condoms prevents sexually transmitted diseases
• Lifestyle factors can have impacts locally, nationally and globally
• Smoking causes cardiovascular disease, lung disease and lung cancer. Smoking damages the walls of arteries and the cells in the lining of the lungs
• Obesity causes type 2 diabetes because it makes the body more resistant to insulin. This means that the concentration of glucose in the blood is not controlled
• Too much alcohol damages the liver and nerve cells causing damage to the brain
• Smoking when pregnant can cause health problems for unborn baby
• Cancer can be caused by exposure to radiation. Things that cause cancer are called carcinogens
• Ionising radiation is an example of a carcinogen
• Risk factors are linked to disease but don’t directly cause it. For example a high fat diet doesn’t directly cause cardiovascular diseases. High blood cholesterol levels cause cardiovascular disease
• Pathogens are microorganisms that enter the body and cause communicable diseases
• Plants and animals are affected by animals
• Bacteria are very small cells that reproduce rapidly inside the body and produce toxins that make you feel ill