SENIOR BIOLOGY THE SEARCH FOR BETTER HEALTH INTRODUCTORY NOTES _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ DATE NAME SCHOOL / ORGANISATION
Disease is any condition which impairs the normal functioning of the human body. There are many causes of disease. The two main categories of disease are:
Infectious diseases
Non-Infectious diseases
INFECTIOUS DISEASE Infectious diseases are caused by disease causing agents called pathogens. There are six main types of pathogens: prions, viruses, bacteria, protozoans, fungi and parasites. These pathogens vary greatly in size and shape and also in the types of diseases they cause in their host. Find information about each of these specimens or diseases and identify which type of pathogen they are caused by (circle your selection).
Pathogens are different sizes and have a range of distinguishing characteristics.
Can you identify the pathogen type which best fits each of these characteristics? (circle your selection)
These pathogens are not made of cells and are often considered not living even though they contain nucleic acids. Vaccination may protect us from some of the diseases they cause.
Prion Virus Bacteria Protozoa Fungi Parasite
These are the smallest of all pathogens. They are made up of only protein and have no DNA or cellular structures. They cause diseases like mad cow disease.
Prion Virus Bacteria Protozoa Fungi Parasite
These are the largest pathogens many of which are visible to the naked eye like tapeworms and ticks. They require a host as part of their life cycle.
Prion Virus Bacteria Protozoa Fungi Parasite
These are cellular pathogens but they do not have any membranes around organelles (prokaryotic). We treat the diseases they cause with antibiotics.
Prion Virus Bacteria Protozoa Fungi Parasite
These single celled pathogens are often found in water or soil and cause diseases like amoebic dysentery. Many of these pathogens are spread by vectors like the mosquito or in contaminated drinking water.
Prion Virus Bacteria Protozoa Fungi Parasite
These pathogens can be microscopic or macroscopic. They have DNA and membrane bound organelles (eukaryotic). They are responsible for diseases like athlete’s foot, thrush and ringworm.
Prion Virus Bacteria Protozoa Fungi Parasite
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Many diseases have modern names.
Can you identify the modern name for each of these “old” diseases? You will find the game and its answers on the pillar near the front of the museum.
Consumption
Morphew
Podagra (Hint: the scientific prefix for “foot” is “pod”)
Variola (Hint: this name is still used as the Genus name for this viral disease)
Grippe
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CASE STUDY: AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Choose one disease from the following list of infectious diseases to examine in detail and complete the following information (circle your selection)
HIV / AIDS 3035.7 Smallpox (poster) Syphilis (poster)
What is something interesting, surprising or useful you’ve discovered about this disease?
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Raising Disease Awareness
Can you identify the coloured ribbon used to raise awareness of each of the different listed diseases? You will find the game and its answers on the pillar near the front of the museum.
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CASE STUDY: MALARIA
Complete the following information about Malaria using the resources in the Microscope room.
Timeline of the History of Malaria
Look around the displays to identify 4 ways to control the spread of malaria or to prevent its occurrence.
Method of control / prevention How it works in reducing malarial cases
Which parts of the human body are affected by malaria?
What are the symptoms of malaria?
What are some interesting statistics you have found about Malaria?
The map indicates current distribution
of indigenous malaria according to
World Health Organisation (WHO)
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CASE STUDY: DIPHTHERIA 299.15
Specimen name
Brief history
Causative pathogen
Symptoms and Treatment
Look at the “Effect of Vaccination on Diphtheria in Australia” Display. When did vaccination for Diphtheria in Australia commence? What is the recommended schedule of vaccinations for Diphtheria? Why is diphtheria a notifiable disease in Australia? Complete this graph by sketching in the line showing the number of diphtheria notifications since 1920.
What is the main trend shown in this graph? Has Diphtheria been eradicated? Are there any current day risks of this disease? (Read the May 2011 Article about the 22year old Brisbane woman to answer this question).
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NON- INFECTIOUS DISEASE Non-Infectious diseases are not caused by pathogens. They are caused by various other factors and are
often the result of the interplay of genetics and lifestyle. Many of these diseases are closely related to
lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity and much can be done to decrease your risk through positive
lifestyle habits.
TITLE:
598.6 Genetics Smoking Alcohol Environment Old age Lack of exercise
Poor diet
TITLE:
350.20 Genetics Smoking Alcohol Environment Old age Lack of exercise
Poor diet
TITLE:
1133.10 Genetics Smoking Alcohol Environment Old age Lack of exercise
Poor diet
TITLE:
1007.17 Genetics Smoking Alcohol Environment Old age Lack of exercise
Poor diet
TITLE:
156.9 Genetics Smoking Alcohol Environment Old age Lack of exercise
Poor diet
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Australia’s leading causes of death
What are Australia’s five leading causes of death? Can you place them into their correct order from highest to lowest? You will find this game next to the smoking display.
For each specimen number listed here, write in the name of the specimen under title and then identify links between these diseases and their contributing factors. In most cases, multiple factors will combine to increase an individual’s disease risk. (You may circle more than one for each disease/specimen)
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CASE STUDY: A NON-INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Choose one disease from the following list of non-infectious diseases to examine in detail and complete the following information (circle your selection)
Rheumatoid arthritis 554.6
Cerebral infarction 485.12
Gangrene 1450.17
Breast Cancer 350.20
Myocardial infarction 1312.17
Prostate cancer 512.18
Lung Cancer 722.8 Asthma 1872.9
INHERITED DISEASES Inherited diseases are those caused by genetic factors like colour blindness, haemophilia and the three listed below. They may be the result of a mutation in a single gene or a chromosomal abnormality. Choose one of these diseases to complete the information. (circle your selection)
DISEASE NAME
Cause and Occurrence
Symptoms
Treatment and Management
What is something interesting, surprising or useful you’ve discovered about this disease?
Cystic Fibrosis (poster)
Down Syndrome (poster)
Neurofibromatosis (poster)
What is the cause of the disease? How many people does it affect?
Describe the main symptoms of the disease.
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NUTRITIONAL DISEASES Nutritional diseases include nutritional deficiencies (like scurvy) as well as dietary disorders (like anorexia and obesity).
CASE STUDY: DIABETES 388.5
Specimen name
Brief history and evidence of disease
Cause and Occurrence
Symptoms
Treatment, Prevention and Control
What is something interesting, surprising or useful you’ve discovered about this disease?
THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM (6.2)
Look at the posters and displays on Diabetes. What causes TYPE I Diabetes? What causes TYPE II Diabetes? What are some of the effects of diabetes on the body? How can risk factors for diabetes be reduced?
Look at the display of fats, sugars and salts in common foods. Record some data about a food/ foods shown in the information in this display?
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ENVIRONMENTAL DISEASES Some environmental diseases are the result of lifestyle choices like a poor diet, lack of exercise and obesity may lead to cardiovascular disease. Others may be from exposure to environmental pollutants like asbestosis and coal miner’s lung or sun exposure and the risk of melanoma. Choose one of these diseases to complete the information. (circle your selection)
What is the major risk factor associated with the cause of this disease?
Look at the “Effects of Smoking on the Body” display. List four diseases that can be linked to smoking. Identify how smoking can affect women and men. Give three reasons why quitting is an advantage
Look at the “Smoking and Epidemiology of lung cancer” display. An impressive amount of epidemiological data incriminates cigarette smoking with various diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, emphysema and lung cancer. Statistically about 90% of lung cancers occur in active smokers who stopped recently.
What is epidemiology? How did epidemiology help identify the cause and effect relationship of smoking? How is ‘lag’ seen in the smoking and lung cancer graph?
CASE STUDY: EMPHYSEMA 156.9
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MEDICAL AND HEALTH TERMINOLOGY
Use common names and words to describe the types of organs, tissues or diseases found in each of these bays in the museum and in doing so understanding what each of the following words mean. In doing so, you may need to wander around the museum, visit each bay and read through some of the catalogues. BAY 7: HAEMATOLOGICAL ________________________________ BAY 8: PULMONARY ________________________________ BAY 11: CARDIAC ________________________________ BAY 12: VASCULAR ________________________________ BAY 13: CONGENITAL ________________________________ BAY 14: INFLAMMATION ________________________________ BAY 18: DEGENERATIVE ________________________________ BAY 19: NEOPLASIA ________________________________ BAY 22: ENDOCRINE ________________________________ BAY 24: HEPATIC ________________________________ BAY 27: NEUROLOGICAL ________________________________ BAY 30: RENAL ________________________________
