WHY DO WE FALL ILL

Meaning of the term Disease, Classification of Diseases, Causes of Diseases

• Health is defined as a state of physical, mental and social well being. A disease is an unhealthy
condition caused by microorganisms, improper diet or it may be inherited.
• Classification of diseases is based on prevalence, occurrence or spread and duration. Epidemics
are outbreak diseases that attack many people at the same time and spread very quickly.
• Classification of diseases based on occurrence or spread includes Infectious and Non-Infectious
Diseases.
• Infectious diseases spread from one person to another through air, water, food, physical contact
and insects, hence also called communicable diseases.
• Non-Infectious Diseases such as blood pressure are caused by nutritional deficiencies, hence
called non-communicable diseases.
• Classification of diseases based on duration includes acute and chronic diseases. Diseases that
last for a short period are called acute diseases. Diseases that last for a lifetime are called chronic
diseases.
• Causes of diseases might be due to contaminated water, lack of good nourishment and genetic
abnormalities.
• Bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and worms that cause diseases are called infectious agents.
• Diseases caused by bacteria are typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis and anthrax.
• Diseases caused by viruses are common cold, influenza, dengue fever and AIDS.
• Diseases caused by fungi are commonly skin infections.
• Diseases caused by protozoa are Kala-Azar and Sleeping Sickness.
• Diseases caused by worms are intestinal infections and lymphatic infections like elephantiasis.
• Organ and Tissue specific Manifestations of microbes depends on the mode of entry of microbes.
• Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS is so called because the AIDS virus breaks
down the body’s immune cells and organs that comprise the immune system.

Transmission of Diseases

• Common ways of transmission of diseases includes direct contact, air, water, food and other
animals.
• Overcrowded and poorly ventilated housing is a main factor in the spread of airborne diseases.
• Cholera is a water borne disease. Syphilis and AIDS are diseases caused by physical contact.
• Organisms that carry microbes from a sick person to a healthy person are called vectors.
• Rabies and malaria are diseases caused by animals.
• Common effects of a infectious disease is activation of immune system and inflammation.
Immune system recruits many cells to the affected tissue to kill the infectious agents, a process
called inflammation.
• Treatment of infectious diseases involves either reducing the effects of the disease or eliminate
the cause of the disease. Antibiotics are more effective against bacterial infections. Anti-viral
drugs are meant for treating viral diseases.
• Problems faced in treatment of diseases involves damage of body functions or may never recover
completely. Prevention of infectious diseases is better than cure.
 • There is an important role of immune system in prevention of infectious diseases. Person
infected with chicken pox won’t get the disease again, because of our body cells that react against
microbes and remember by producing memory cells.
• Immunization is the protection of individuals from communicable diseases by administration of a
suspension of killed micro-organisms. A hundred years ago, smallpox epidemics were common
throughout the world. Virus like smallpox was eliminated from the world through vaccines, a
process called vaccinations. First vaccine was developed against small pox by Edward Jenner,
hence called "Father of Immunology".

WHY DO WE FALL ILL- MCQ

Q1: The disease that is non-communicable is_________.

1. Malaria
2. Marasmus
Q2: Malaria is caused by a_________.
3. AIDS
1. Protozoan
4. Jaundice
2. Fungi
3. Virus
4. Bacteria
Q3: The husk of the isabgol seed with water produces relief from_________.
1. malaria
2. jaundice
3. flu
4. diarrhoea
Q4: Oral rehydration solution does not contain_________.
1. sodium chloride
2. sodium bicarbonate
3. sodium cyanide
4. Glucose
Q5: The vitamin that is not fat soluble is_________.
1. vitamin A
2. vitamin B complex
3. vitamin D
4. vitamin E
Q6: Xerophthalmia is caused due to the deficiency of_________.
1. vitamin A
2. vitamin B
3. vitamin C
4. vitamin D
Q7: The 4D-syndrome characteristics the following disease_________.
1. Pellagra
2. Xerophthalmia
3. Scurvy
4. beriberi
Q8: Maize interferes with the absorption of_________.
1. ascorbic acid
2. nicotinic acid
3. Thiamine
4. Iodine
Q9: Sunlight enhances the production of_________.
1. vitamin A
2. vitamin B
3. vitamin C
4. vitamin D
Q10: The proposed “two in one" salt contains iodine and_________.
1. Sodium
2. Potassium
3. Iron
4. Manganese
Q11: An insect which transmits a disease is known as_________.
1. intermediate host
2. Parasite
3. Vector
4. Prey
Q12: A chronic case of a disease denotes_________.
1. severe attack of the disease
2. mild attack of the disease
3. disease occurs for a very long period
4. all of the above
Q13: Which one is a communicable disease?
1. Malaria
2. Diabetes
3. Hypertension
4. Helminth
Q14: Which one of the diseases is not communicable?
1. Typhoid
2. Leprosy
3. Measles
4. Leukemia
Q15: Congenital diseases are those which_________.
1. are deficiency diseases
2. are present from time of birth
3. are spread from man to man
4. occur during life time
Q16: BCG vaccine is used to curb_________.
1. pneumonia
2. tuberculosis
3. polio
4. amoebiasis
Q17: AIDS virus has_________.
1. single strand DNA
2. double strand DNA
3. single strand RNA
4. double strand RNA
Q18: Causative agent of T.B. is_________.
1. defective liver
2. defective thymus
3. AIDS virus
4. weak immune system
Q19: Immuno-deficiency syndrome could develop due to_________.
1. defective liver
2. defective thymus
3. AIDS virus
4. weak immune system
Q20: T.B. is cured by_________.
1. griseofulvin
2. ubiquinone
3. streptomycin
4. encitol
Q21: AIDS is due to_________.
1. reduction in number of helper T-cell
2. reduction in number of killer T-cell
3. auto-immunity
4. non-production of interferons

Q22: Typhoid is caused by_________.

1. Escherichia
2. Giardia
3. Salmonella
4. Shigella
Q23: Which of the following is a mismatch?
1. Leprosy - Bacterial infection
2. AIDS - Bacterial infection
3. Malaria - Protozoan infection
4. Elephantiasis - Nematode infection
Q24: Fever, delirium, slow pulse, abdominal tenderness and rose coloured rash indicate the
disease_________.
1. typhoid
2. measles
3. tetanus
4. chicken pox
Q25: Calcium deficiency occurs in the absence of vitamin_________.
1. D
2. A
3. C
4. B