Question | Answer |
infectious diseases | caused by tiny organisms called pathogens |
examples of pathogens | bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protists |
sources of pathogens | another person, a contaminated object, an animal bite, or the environment |
immune system | is responsible for distinguishing between the different kinds of pathogens and reacting to each according to its type |
examples of infectious diseases | colds, flu, athlete's foot, AIDS,and strep throat. |
influenza | a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory system |
influenza symptoms | causes fever, muscle aches, and a more severe cough than the common cold and usually lasts longer |
athlete's foot | common fungal infection of the skin of the feet that can be contracted from public environments |
AIDS | Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome |
AIDS | caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) |
AIDS | virus attacks the cells in the immune system making the organism unable to fight off other pathogens that may attack the body |
Strep throat | contagious disease caused by bacterial infection |
Strep throat symptoms | fever, pain, redness, and swelling of the throat and tonsils |
Noninfectious diseases | diseases that are not caused by pathogens in the body and are not spread from organism to organism |
Causes of noninfectious diseases | caused by malfunctions in body systems that are either inherited or caused by environmental factors. |
examples of noninfectious diseases | diabetes, Parkinson's disease, skin cancer, and asthma |
Diabetes | disease that results in the glucose (sugar) level of the blood being higher than the normal range |
cause of diabetes | caused by a person’s inability to either produce or use properly a natural chemical produced in the body called insulin |
Diabetes can lead to | kidney disease, heart disease, or vision problems |
Parkinson's disease | A disease of the nervous system that occurs when certain nerve cells in the brain stop functioning properly, affecting the muscular system |
symptoms of Parkinson's | severe shaking (tremors) and disabilities involving movement |
skin cancer | A disease in which skin cells found in the outer layers of the skin becomes damaged |
causes of skin cancer | damaging ultraviolet rays (UV) from the Sun or tanning beds and heredity. |
Asthma | a disease that affects the lungs and the airways that deliver air to the lungs |
symptoms of asthma | periodic attacks of wheezing and difficult breathing caused by the airways becoming inflamed in response to a stimulus |
causes of asthma attack | dust, mold, pets, exercise, or cold weather |