Diseases
Diseases stop our bodies from working properly. There are different kinds of
living things that cause disease. They infect other living things and grow and
reproduce on or in the body of the living thing that they infect. Any living thing
that lives on or in the body of another living thing is called a parasite. The
living thing that a parasite infects is called the host.
Diseases can be caused by
Bacteria Virus Fungus 0ther parasites
Viruses are even The yeast that There are other kinds
Bacteria are very
smaller than we use to make of parasites that also
small living things
bacteria. bread rise is cause infectious
that we can only
see using a All viruses are a fungus. diseases. Malaria is a
microscope. harmful and Mushrooms that diseases caused by
Bacteria cause diseases we eat are also
these [Link]
cause diseases in humans, fungi. But some
fungi are spreads through
such as cholera animals and
parasites that mosquitoes.
and pneumonia. plants. Some
Not all bacteria viruses cause Only female Anopheles
even infect diseases. mosquitoes can spread
are harmful.
bacteria! Humans Ringworm in malaria from one
Example of good
humans and
bacteria can be animals, person to another.
found in yogurt or athlete’s foot in
fermented food humans and
rusts in plants
The body’s defences against
diseases
Our body has different ways to stop us from being infected with diseases. We call
these the body’s
defences against diseases
1
Controlling the spread of diseases
Many diseases are spread in food, water and body fluids. We can help
prevent the diseases from spreading by good hygiene. This means keeping
yourself and the things around you clean.
List out a few of ways to maintain good hygiene.
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2
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Preventing insect bites
Some serious diseases, such as malaria,yellow fever and sleeping sickness, are
spread by insects. Malaria and yellow fever are spread by mosquitoes. Sleeping
sickness is spread by the tsetse fly. The
insects don’t cause the disease, but they spread the disease parasite when they
bite you. The insects also do not get the disease themselves. We say the insects are
vectors.
The best way to prevent a disease spread by insects is not to get bitten.
These are some of the ways you can prevent insect bites:
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a)Match each of the body’s defences with the way it helps to protect the
body from disease.
Body defence How it protects the body
from disease
tears traps germs
mucus stops bacteria entering the
body
stomach acid contain a chemical
substance that kills some
bacteria
skin kills bacteria in food we
have eaten
3
b) Explain why we should clean cuts and wounds and cover them with a plaster
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