Summary
Summary Edexcel Biology Health and Medicine
- Course
- Institution
- Book
A quick and easy guide to understanding Edexcel Biology GCSE Health and Medicine (Topic 5)
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
More summaries for
-
Edexcel Biology Evolution and Natural Selection
-
GCSE Biology Genetics Summary Notes (Edexcel Topic 3)
-
Everything you need to get a 9 for Biology GCSE
Seller
Follow
moxu
Content preview
Edexcel GCSE Topic 5 – Health and medicineDiseases
A disease is a condition which causes part of an organism to function incorrectly. These
can be communicable (diseases that can be spread) or non-communicable (can’t be
spread). Some diseases make you more susceptible to other diseases.
Pathogens
Pathogens are organisms that cause disease. These mainly cause communicable
diseases.
Bacteria are small prokaryotic cells which can reproduce rapidly. They usually produce
toxins that damage cells and tissues.
Viruses are not cells. They reproduce rapidly using the machinery inside the cells they
target, which will then burst, releasing the new viruses. The damage is what makes you
feel ill.
Protists are eukaryotes, most of which are single-celled. They are usually transferred by
a vector organism, which doesn’t get ill itself but instead carries the disease.
Fungi can be single or multi-celled. The multi-celled organisms have a body which is
made of hyphae (thread-like structures). These hyphae can penetrate organisms,
causing diseases or can spread spores, which cause diseases as well.
Pathogens can be waterborne or airborne, spreading through water or air. They can also
be spread through contaminated food (known as oral transmission) or through bodily
fluids. They can also be spread through vectors (as seen with protists).
Viruses
Viruses reproduce through two pathways, lytic and lysogenic.
The lytic pathway is when the virus latches onto a host cell and injects its genetic
material into the cell. The virus then uses the machinery to replicate itself, creating new
parts of viruses. These then assemble and the cell bursts, releasing the new viruses.
The lysogenic pathway starts the same way, with the virus injecting its genetic material
into the cell. This is then incorporated into the DNA of the cell. The DNA gets replicated
when the cell does, creating many copies of the genetic material. A trigger will cause the
material to enter the lytic pathway at some point.
Defences
There are two types of defences, physical and chemical.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller moxu. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.85. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
75323 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now