Basic Science

Microorganisms causing food, water and air borne diseases

len Alfred Ajibola - Wed, 05th June, 2019 @ 12:18 PM

Topics in Basic Science

What is science? Qualities of a scientist Resources from living things Resources from animals Importance of immunization Types of Carbohydrates: Monosaccharides and Polysaccharides Carbohydrates: Disaccharides and Oligosaccharides Len Academy Examination Questions for Basic Science, JSS2, 2nd Term Len Academy Examination Questions for Basic Science, JSS3, 3rd Term Len Academy Examination Questions for Basic Science, JSS3, 2nd Term Primates: Characteristics of Primates Effects of improper waste management Waste Management: Causes of waste in the society Concept of mass and weight Mineral Salts: Sources, functions and deficiencies of macronutrients Sources, functions and deficiencies of micronutrients Len Academy questions for Basic Science JSS1 Len Academy mid-term test questions for Basic Science JSS1, 2nd Term Microorganisms causing food, water and air borne diseases Vector borne organisms and the diseases they cause Bones of the Human Skeleton

Academic Questions in Basic Science

Please click here to see all Questions and Answers

Which of the following diseases is associated with river blindness?

  • A. Anthrax

  • B. Lawnmower Disease

  • C. Onchocerciasis

  • D. Devil's Crunch

  • E. Trypanosomiasis

  • F. Tularemia

The vector for yellow fever is _____.

  • A. Aedes Mosquito

  • B. Female Anopheles Mosquito

  • C. Plasmodium

  • D. Flavivirus

  • E. Black Fly

  • F. Bacillus Anthracis

The bones of the head and face make up the skull. These bones are _____ in number.

  • A. 12

  • B. 14

  • C. 16

  • D. 18

  • E. 20

  • F. 22

Bacteria are not a constituent of our environment.

  • A. True

  • B. False

Below are types of drugs. Which of these is considered as pain killers?

  • A. Stimulants

  • B. Depressants

  • C. Opiods and Morphine Derivatives

  • D. Hallucinogens

  • E. Anabolic Steroids

  • F. Cannabinoids

Which of the following statement is false concerning drugs?

  • A. Drugs can be inhaled

  • B. Drugs can be injected directly into the bloodstream 

  • C. Drugs can be eaten

  • D. Drugs exist exclusively in the forms of tablets and syrups

  • E. Drugs can be placed under the tongue

  • F. Drugs can be taken with water or another liquid

Vaccination involves a process of introducing pathogens or germs into a person in order to prevent such person from the diseases they cause.

  • A. True

  • B. False

With regards to the human health, foreign bodies are best regarded as _____.

  • A. International bodies

  • B. Antilators

  • C. Antibodies

  • D. Antigens

  • E. Antibiotics

  • F. Antidotes


Disease causing organisms:

Diseases are transmitted by microorganisms called germs or pathogens. These germs may enter their hosts either directly or indirectly.

An example of direct entry may be seen when the host (humans in this instance) drinks contaminated water that contains the bacterium responsible for cholera; that is, vibro cholerae.

Please read on immunization here.


An indirect entry will occur when the disease causing organism (pathogen or germ) lives inside another organism called a vector.

Please read more on vectors here

In an indirect contact, the pathogen does no harm to the vector but as soon as it’s introduced into the host, it begins its destructive activities within the host's cell. An example is a protist (also a protozoan) called plasmodium malariae.

You can read more on protists here.

Understand that plasmodium malariae lives inside the female anopheles mosquito before it's introduced into the blood of humans.


As soon as the female anopheles mosquito pierces and sucks into its host, it introduces the plasmodium into the host’s blood where it commences its destructive actions. As a result, the host becomes sick with malaria. In this regard, malaria was caused via plasmodium malariae (pathogen) and not the mosquito (vector).

Please read more on classification of insect pests here


Note the following terminologies:

  • A disease is a deviation from the normal physiological and anatomical state of an organism and it's usually associated with some specific signs and symptoms.

  • Physiological state simply refers to the details on how the cells, tissues, organs and systems of an organism function.
    You can read on homeostasis here

  • Anatomical state refers to various structures associated with an organism. Examples are the liver, heart, kidneys, upper limbs and so on.

  • A host is an organism on which another organism (called a parasite) lives and feed on. The host usually suffers in a parasitic relationship.

  • A vector is any organism that carries disease causing organisms (called germs or pathogens). Houseflies and mosquitoes are examples of vectors. The image below shows some disease vectors:

    Vectors of Diseases - Len Academy

 

How are diseases transmitted?

Diseases can spread (or be transmitted) in a variety of ways. These are:

  1. Food: Through food borne pathogens.

  2. Water: Through water borne pathogens.

  3. Air: Through air borne pathogens.

  4. Direct skin contact or personal contact.

  5. Vectors or disease carriers.

You can read on reptiles and their characteristics here

 

Diseases caused by microorganisms

The table below shows the summary of diseases, their causative organisms, mode of transmission and symptoms in humans:


Diseases Causative Organisms Mode of Transmission Symptoms

Typhoid fever

Salmonella typhi (bacterium)

Food and Water

High fever, General body weakness, Constipation, Headache, Vomiting and Abdominal pain

Cholera

Vibro cholerae (Bacterium)

Water

Diarrhea (stooling) and vomiting, Abdominal pain, High temperature, High fever and Headache

Polio Myelitis (infant paralysis)

Poliovirus

Water

Paralysis of the limbs as a result of nervous disorders connecting to the limbs

Hepatitis

Hepatovirus

Water

Liver becomes swollen, Fever, Headache and Jaundice

Bacillic Dysentery

Shigella dysenteriae (Bacterium)

Water and Food

Diarrhea, Abdominal pain and Fever

Amoebic Dysentery

Entamoeba hystolitica (protozoan)

Food and Water

Diarrhea and vomiting, Abdominal pain

Food Poisoning

Bacillus cereus (Bacterium)

Food

Restlessness, Headache, Abdominal pain and vomiting

Para-Typhoid

Salmonella para-typhi (Bacteria)

Water and Food

High Fever, Constipation or Diarrhea

Measles

RNA paramyxovirus

 

Air and Body contact

Skin rashes, High fever, Cough, Body pain and Headache

Pneumonia

Bacterial pneumonia

Air

Difficulty in breathing, Cough and Fever

Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Bacterium)

Air and Food

Persistent dry cough, Blood in sputum, Loss of weight, Abnormal Sweating, High temperature

Small Pox

Variola major and Variola minor (virus)

Air

Skin rashes, Skin blisters and Fever

Common cold

Rhinovirus and Coronaviruses

Air

Runny nose, headache, high fever

Meningitis

Meningococcus (Bacterium)

Air

Stiffness of the neck, Vomiting, Headache and Fever

Chicken pox

Human Herpes virus 3 (HPV-3)

Air

Skin rash, Itchy skin

Whooping Cough

Bordetella pertussis (Bacterium)

Air

Cough, Cold, Vomiting, Fever

Influenza

Influenza Virus (types A and B)

Air

Shivering, Body Pain, Headache, High Fever

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Amazing facts in Basic Science

According to scientific research, if the first tear drop comes from the right eye, it’s tears of joy. If it comes from the left eye, then it is as a result of pain

Dentistry is the oldest profession in the world. This is considered true because a research conducted by the University of Bologna, Italy on a 14,000-year-old skull found that one rotten tooth in the jaw had been deliberately scoured and scraped with a dental tool

Scientific research has it that the human nose can distinguish more than a trillion different odors

Tiger fur and skin - Len Academy

Tigers have striped fur. So also is their skin

Red-Billed Quelea - Len Academy

The most common wild bird in the world is native to Africa, and it's the red-billed quelea with a population estimated to be around 1.5 billion

Of all animals, mosquitoes hold the record of killing most humans annually. They are responsible for the deaths of 725,000 - 1,000,000 persons yearly

Antibiotics fights and kills bacteria. However, they do nothing to a virus

All insects have six legs. However, dragonfly has six legs but can't walk

The chin is defined as the protruding part of the face below the mouth, formed by the apex of the lower lip. It is shown below:

Chin - Len Academy

Interestingly, humans are the only animals with chin

Cranberries - Len Academy

Ripe cranberries will bounce like a ball. For this reason, they are nicknamed 'bounceberries'. They will also float in water

Notable points in Basic Science

We have six classes of food. These are:

  1. Carbohydrates

  2. Proteins

  3. Fats and Oils

  4. Vitamins

  5. Mineral Salts

  6. Water

In humans, roughages are not classified as one of the classes of food. This is so because they aren't digested. Instead, roughages facilitate the movement of bowels in the large intestine (colon); and for this reason, they can become useful in treating constipation.

Food refers to anything that is ingested by living organisms, giving them nutrients and thus enabling them to stay alive.

As an instance, 99% of a panda's diet is bamboo. In this case, bamboo is considered as food to a panda since it provides a source of nutrient and keeps it alive. This is shown in the image below:

Panda eating bamboo - Len Academy

Please read more on food here

The only process in nature that actively enriches our atmosphere with oxygen is photosynthesis. Every other process like respiration, burning and combustion takes away oxygen from it. In addition, they introduce carbon(IV)oxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.

Photosynthesis is also the only process that takes away carbon(IV)oxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

Photosynthesis is defined as a process by which green plants manufacture food by utilizing carbon(IV)oxide and water in the presence of sunlight.

Oxygen is given off as a by-product of photosynthesis. In regards to this, it is recommended that each person plants a tree.

Matter is composed of particles which can be:

  1. Tightly packed together (as seen in solids).

  2. Loosely packed together (as seen in liquids).

  3. Completely separated (as seen in gases).

The movement of the particles of matter is a function of the overall kinetic energy present in them. You can think of kinetic energy as energy in motion.

An increase in the particles' vibrational, rotational or translational motion will imply an increase in temperature while a decrease in the particles motion (vibrational, rotational and translational) will mean a decrease in temperature. Based on this knowledge, we can therefore define temperature as the measure of the average kinetic energy possessed by the particles of matter.

You can read on the concept of matter here

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is a score derived from a set of standardized tests developed to measure a person's cognitive abilities in relation to their age group.

IQ may also be defined as the ratio of mental age (MA) to chronological age (CA) multiplied by 100.

Below are some formulas pertaining Intelligence Quotient:

  • IQ = MA x 100 ÷ CA

  • MA = Mental age

  • CA = Chronological age

  • IQ above 100 = Brilliance

  • IQ that equals 100 = Average

  • IQ below 100 = Below Average