BIOLOGY

Chapter 13: Why Do We Fall Ill?

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Why Do We Fall ill?

Health and Disease

• Health is defined as the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.
• The health of an individual is affected by changing internal and external factors including
personal, economic, environmental and social factors.
• Disease is the departure from normal health through a structural or functional disorder of the
body.
The Immune System
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An immune system is the part of the body that provides protection against infection from
pathogens, invading foreign substances and other toxins.
Yes, this is due to the immune system.
Children, both infants and toddlers tend to fall ill more often and are more prone to infections as
they do not have a fully developed immune system, compared to adults. Likewise, as people grow
old, their immune system weakens and makes things worse.
Everyone’s immune system is different and it varies with age, lifestyle and there are many factors
which affect the immune system.
Here, in this article let us learn in detail about the human immune system, different parts, types
and other facts related to it.
Skin and Mucous Membranes Skin and Mucous membranes act as the layer of defence. While
skin protects the body externally, mucous membrane protects the insides of the body.
WBC

WBC- White blood cells are called Leucocytes or Leukocytes. They are the important components
of our immune system and are present in the blood and lymph. They function by attacking and
kill the pathogens and protect our body free from pathogens and infections. There are of
different types of and are classified based on the location as well. The different types of White
blood cells found in the blood are neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils, ad
eosinophils. These blood cells have specialized functions.
Macrophages and NK Cells
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Macrophages are large and specialized cells of the immune system. These cells are produced in
response to infections or due to the development of damaged or dead cells. They attack cancer
cells through destruction and ingestion. Natural Killer Cells bind to the enemy cell and they
dissolve the membrane so the cell can’t function.
Dendritic Cells
Dendritic cells create the memory and carry information about the pathogens to the liver, spleen,
lymph nodes.
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Inflammatory Response
An inflammatory response is seen in the body when it gets injured or infected by a pathogen.
Inflammations help in the localization of the issue and prevent it from spreading.
Diseases

“A disease is a condition that deteriorates the normal functioning of the cells, tissues, and
organs.”
Diseases are often thought of as medical conditions that are characterized by their signs and
symptoms.
The disease can also be defined as:
“Any dangerous divergence from a functional or normal state of an entity.”
When a person is inflicted with a disease, he exhibits a few symptoms and signs that range from
normal to severe depending upon the medical condition. Hence, in order to identify different
diseases, the normalcy of an entity needs to be studied and understood as a clear demarcation
between disease and disease-free is not always apparent.
The diseases are usually caused by many factors rather than a single cause. When we have a
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disease, we eventually show some signs, such as headaches, cough, cold, weakness. These signs
are referred to as “symptoms.” In almost all diseases, symptoms are shown immediately after
having been struck by the disease. However, it varies depending upon the seriousness of the
disease.
A disease is a discomfort the body experiences physically or mentally. A disease could be caused
due to external or internal factor. The two types of disease are:
Acute diseases are those which last for a very short time. These diseases can be fatal and are
usually caused by an external agent.
Chronic diseases are those which last for a long time. They take a lot of time to heal and can be
caused by any external or internal factor.
Symptoms and signs of Diseases
When the body gets diseased, it shows certain symptoms and signs of illness. These symptoms
and signs help in identification and diagnosis of the disease. A symptom is felt by the affected
person while signs can be detected by another person. A symptom is thus, subjective and a sign is
an objective.

Causes of Diseases

Different types of Causes of Disease

Diseases can be caused due to pathogens such as virus or bacteria. Some diseases can also be due
to internal factors such as genetic mutation.

Infectious Diseases

Diseases that are caused by pathogens and can spread to other individuals in the populations are
called infectious diseases.

Non-infectious diseases

Diseases that cannot spread from one individual to another are called non-infectious diseases.
Usually, these diseases are not caused by a pathogen.

Pathogens
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Pathogens are external agents that cause diseases in other organisms. This pathogen includes
harmful microbes or microorganism such as bacteria, virus, fungi or protozoa.

Vector

Vectors are those organisms that carry a pathogen from the host to a recipient. Mosquito, rats
and mice are some of the common vectors that carry infectious diseases.

Bacteria

Bacteria are microorganisms that are seen in almost all environmental condition. Not all bacteria
are harmful to pathogens. Some bacteria are also beneficial to human beings. Bacteria are
beneficial for, digestion, extracting antibiotics from them, nitrogen fixation, etc.
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Virus

A virus is a microorganism that is always pathogenic in nature. They do not have molecular
machinery to replicate without a host. Therefore, they enter the host cell and replicate and in the
process destroy the host cell. A few of the common diseases spread by the viruses are cold,
influenza, dengue fever AIDS, etc.

Fungi

Fungi are a group of organisms which are eukaryotic in nature and saprophytic in nutrition. They
could be either unicellular or multicellular organism. Many common skin infections such as
ringworm, nail infection, etc are examples of Fungal diseases

Parasites

A parasite is an organism that lives in another organism, called the host, and often harms it. It is
dependent on its host for survival – it has to be in the host to live, grow and multiply.
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Intrinsic/Inte • These are disease-causing factors which exist within

rnal Factors the human body.
• Genetic disorders. Example: Haemophilia

Extrinsic/Ext • These are disease-causing factors which enter the

ernal Factors human body from outside and cause a disease.
• Disease-causing microorganisms. Example: Malaria

Levels of • First-level cause: Primary cause/causative agent:

Immediate Bacteria, virus
Causes • Second-level cause: Secondary cause: Lack of good
nourishment
• Third-level cause: Tertiary cause: Poverty

Types of Diseases
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• Diseases in which the symptoms are quickly visible in the body and last for a shorter duration
are called acute diseases. Examples: Common cold, malaria
• Diseases which are long-term, with their symptoms lasting for months or years, are called
chronic
diseases. Examples: Elephantiasis, tuberculosis
• Diseases which develop after birth are called acquired diseases.
• Diseases caused by infectious agents or pathogens are called communicable or infectious
diseases. Examples: Tuberculosis, chickenpox, measles
• Diseases which do not spread from one person to another are called non-communicable or
non- infectious diseases. Examples: Beriberi, scurvy, arthritis

Differences between Infectious and Non-infectious Diseases

INFECTIOUS DISEASES NON-INFECTIOUS DISEASES
1. Caused by attack of pathogens 1. Caused by factors other than
pathogens

2. Caused by extrinsic factors 2. Caused by intrinsic factors

3. Transmitted from one person to 3. Do not get transmitted from one

another person
to another

4. Transmission of diseases occurs 4. Transmission in hereditary diseases

through direct contact or some medium is
from parent to offspring
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5. Examples: Cholera, malaria 5. Examples: Diabetes, goitre

Infectious Diseases

Viruses • AIDS, chickenpox, influenza, poliomyelitis

Bacteria • Typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, tetanus

Fungi • Skin infections, dandruff, ringworm

Protozoa • Malaria, amoebic dysentery, Kala-azar

Metazoa • Elephantiasis, ascariasis

Mites • Scabies

Infectious Agents
Means of Spread of Infectious Diseases

Air-borne diseases Spread through air when droplets of pathogens are expelled
into the air because of coughing, sneezing or talking.
Examples: Influenza, meningitis

Water-borne Caused by consumption of contaminated water.

diseases Examples: Typhoid fever, cholera, hepatitis A

Food-borne Caused by consumption of food contaminated with chemical

diseases toxins or pathogens.
Examples: Taeniasis, trichinosis

Vector-borne Caused by pathogens transmitted by vectors such as insects

diseases and ticks.
Examples: Malaria, elephantiasis

Sexually Caused by pathogens transmitted by sexual contact.

transmitted Examples: AIDS, syphilis
diseases

Fomite-borne Caused by pathogens present on inanimate objects such as

diseases clothing and bedding used by infected people.
Examples: Scabies, ringworm
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Organ-specific and Tissue-specific Manifestations of Diseases

• The signs and symptoms of a disease depend on the tissue or organ which the microbe targets.
• The severity of disease manifestation depends on the number of microbes within the body.
• During infection, the immune system gets activated. It sends many soldier cells to the affected
tissue to kill the microbes. This causes inflammation.
• Inflammation is due to the escape of some chemicals which cause allergic reactions in our
body. They attract blood supply because of which the amount of blood and the temperature of
the surrounding area increase. The consequent swelling of the area is called oedema.
• Plasma and white blood cells (WBCs) of the immune system of the body are discharged at the
affected site. Plasma contains products such as antibodies and macrophages which kill or
inhibit the growth of pathogens.
• Doctors carry out confirmatory tests such as laboratory tests of blood, urine and stool or even
perform an X-ray to confirm the presence of a disease.

Principles of Treatment of Diseases

Principles of Prevention of Diseases

• Prevention of diseases follows three basic principles:
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General Ways of Prevention of Infectious Diseases

• We can prevent exposure to air-borne microbes by providing living conditions which are not
overcrowded.
• We can prevent exposure to water-borne microbes by providing safe, filtered and boiled
drinking water.
• We can provide clean environments to prevent exposure to vector-borne microbes. This would
not allow their multiplication.
Specific Ways of Prevention of Infectious Diseases
• Immunisation is the process by which an individual's immune system is equipped to fight off
infectious agents.
• Vaccination provides active immunity.
• Vaccines against some common diseases such as BCG vaccine, DPT vaccine, polio vaccine,
vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles and many others have been
administered in India.
Vaccination
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When the immune system first sees an infectious microbe, it responds against it and then
remembers it specifically. So the next time that particular microbe, or its close relative enter
the body, the immune system responds with even greater vigorous. This eliminates the
infection even more quickly than the first time around. This is the basis of principle of
immunization.
We fool the immune system of human body into developing a memory for particular infection
by putting something that mimics the microbes we want to vaccinate against, into the
body. This does not actually cause the disease but this would prevent any subsequent
Jaundice or hepatitis is a disease of liver. It is caused by viral infection.
There is a vaccine for hepatitis A available in market.
Rabies-It is spread by the bite of infected dog and other animal. It is a viral disease caused by a
rabies virus which is present in saliva of infected animals.
5 Anti-rabies vaccines are available.

AIDS-Acquired imuno deficiency syndrome virus.

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It is cause by retrovirus called as HIV.

It attacks white blood cells of human beings and weakens the human body immune system. It
reduces the natural immunity of human body. The patients suffering from AIDS die from other
infections.
OPV=Oral Polio Vaccine
PPTP=Pulse polis immunization programmer
BCG vaccine (Bacillus Calmette Guerin):It is for the prevention of tuberculosis.
Principles of Treatment
There are 2 ways to treat infectious diseases
1. Reduce the effect of the disease
2. Kill the cause of disease
To reduce the effect of disease: we provide treatment that will reduce the symptoms. The
symptoms are because of inflammation.
We can take medicines that bring down fever, reduce pain or loose motion, take bed rest.
Such a kind of symptom- directed treatment is inadequate. Since it will not make the
pathogen to go away. For that we have to kill the microbe itself
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One way To kill microbes is to use medicines. Microbes can be classified into different categories.
Infections
AIDS
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It is caused by the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus. AIDS systematically destroys the immune system of the patient, leaving
them vulnerable to the easiest of the diseases.
Prevention of Disease
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are antimicrobial drugs produced from other organisms, such as fungus and some
bacteria, which are used for treating against the harmful infections caused by pathogens or
harmful microorganisms. These antibiotics functions by:
• Alteration of Cell Membranes.
• Inhibition Antimetabolite Activity.
• Inhibition of Nucleic Acid Synthesis.
• Inhibiting of Cell Wall Synthesis (a most common mechanism).
• Inhibition of Protein Synthesis (Translation) (second largest class).
Preventive Measures
The preventive measures can be taken to avoid infection of various diseases. The most common
measure is the maintenance of hygienic condition.
While treating an infection or a disease, three limitations are generally faced. These three
limitations are as follows:
• Someone had a disease which completely damaged his body functions to an extent that it
can’t be recovered.
• A person suffering from some ailment might be bedridden for some time because it takes time
to cure any disease.
• A person suffering from some disease might spread the infection to other people as well.
Therefore, it is necessary to prevent certain diseases beforehand.
How Can Disease Be Prevented?
There are two ways of preventing a particular disease.
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General Ways
• Hygienic conditions should be maintained in the surroundings we live in. There should be
limited exposure to airborne microbes by providing not so crowded living conditions.
• Safe drinking water should be provided to prevent water-borne diseases.
• Provide a clean environment which prevents the breeding of mosquitoes. This prevents the
spread of vector-borne diseases.
Specific Ways
The immune system normally fights off microbes. The cells of the immune system are specialized
in killing infectious microbes. That is why we don’t always fall sick on coming in contact with an
infectious person. As soon as an antigen enters the body, these cells come into play.
Immunization
Immunization is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious
disease. Vaccines are the common means to immunize people.
Difference Between Vaccination And Immunization
The major difference between Vaccination and Immunization is that a vaccine is administered to
people to create immunity from that disease. For example, before the polio vaccine is
administered, the infant does not have immunity to the disease and has a high risk of contracting
that disease. Therefore, a vaccination builds up resistance (immunity) to a disease.

In essence, vaccination and immunization go hand in hand. Immunity to a disease can occur
naturally or be induced by artificial means. For instance, once you contract Chicken Pox, it is very
rare for the same person to contract the disease again because they build up immunity to the
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disease. Creating immunity artificially involves exposure to very weak or deactivated disease
causing microbes. The major difference between Vaccination And Immunization are summarized
as follows:

Difference Between Vaccination And Immunization

Vaccination Immunization

The process involves introducing a weakened The process starts after the person is
/ deactivated disease causing microbes into exposed to the vaccine and the body
a person starts building resistance to that disease

It is usually injected or administered orally It is not administered in any way. Tthe

body develops resistance from vaccines.

Imovax Rabies is the trade name for rabies The body builds up immunity through
vaccine this vaccine for the disease rabies.

Vaccination does not guarantee complete Complete immunity occurs when the
resistance to a disease person fully recovers from the disease.

Usually, if mutation happens to microbes, it Similarly, variations of a disease impact

might render the vaccine ineffective (this is the body’s ability to generate an
the reason why common cold has no immune response.
vaccine)
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Important Question
➢ Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Which one of the following is not a viral disease?
(a) Dengue
(b) AIDS
(c) Typhoid
(d) Influenza
2. Which one of the following is not a bacterial disease?
(a) Cholera
(b) Tuberculosis
(c) Anthrax
(d) Influenza
3. Which one of the following causes Kala-azar?
(a) Ascaris
(b) Trypanosoma
(c) Leishmania
(d) Bacteria
4. AIDS cannot be transmitted by:
(a) sexual contact
(b) hugs
(c) breastfeeding
(d) blood transfusion
5. Which one of the following diseases is not caused by bacteria?
(a) Typhoid
(b) Anthrax
(c) Tuberculosis
(d) Malaria
6. Viruses, which causes hepatitis are transmitted through:
(a) air
(b) water
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(c) food
(d) personal contact
7. The name of bacterial disease is
(a) Ringworm
(b) Measles
(c) Typhoid
(d) Malaria
8. T.B. (Tuberculosis) is caused by:
(a) Vibrio Cholerae
(b) Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(c) HIV virus
(d) Salmonella typhi (bacteria)
➢ Very Short Question:
1. What are infectious or communicable diseases?
2. What are congenital diseases?
3. Give one local and one general effect of the inflammation process.
4. Name the organism causing the following diseases:
(a) Kala-azar
(b) Sleeping sickness
5. It was diagnosed that a patient has lost the power of fighting any infection.
(i) Name the disease the patient is suffering from.
(ii) Name the pathogen responsible for the disease.
6. What is immunity?
7. The diseases which can be prevented by using vaccines.
8. What are principles of treatment of a disease?
9. How do children in many parts of India get immune to hepatitis-A by the time they are
five year old?
10. Name the causative organisms of tuberculosis and cholera.
➢ Short Questions:
1. What are the differences between acute and chronic diseases?
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2. What is a pandemic disease? Give one example.

3. Mention the symptoms because of which you will visit a doctor and why?
4. Why is DPT called triple antigen?
5. What are the symptoms shown by a person if the
(i) lungs get infected?
(ii) stomach is infected?
6. “In our country majority of children are already immune to hepatitis A without giving its
vaccine to them.” Justify this statement giving reasons.
7. List any four factors that must be taken care of by an individual for keeping good health.
8. Why are antibiotics effective against bacteria?
➢ Long Questions:
1. Write a note on plant tissues.
2. Show the types of animal tissues using flow chart.
3. What is connective tissue? Explain its types.
➢ Assertion Reason Questions:
1. For two statements are given- one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled Reason (R).
Select the correct answer to these questions from the codes (a), (b), (c) and (d) as given
below:
a. Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and reason is the correct explanation for
assertion.
b. Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and Reason is not the correct explanation for
Assertion.
c. Assertion is true but Reason is false.
d. Both Assertion and Reason are false.
Assertion: Cell plays vital role in the body.
Reason: Cell is the basic unit of body structure.
2. For two statements are given- one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled Reason (R).
Select the correct answer to these questions from the codes (a), (b), (c) and (d) as given
below:
a. Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and reason is the correct explanation for
assertion.
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b. Both Assertion and Reason are correct, and Reason is not the correct explanation for
Assertion.
c. Assertion is true but Reason is false.
d. Both Assertion and Reason are false.
Assertion: cell plays vital role in the body.
Reason: cell is the basic unit of wall making.
➢ Case Study Questions:
1. There are many tissues in the body. These tissues make up physiological systems or organ
systems that carry out body functions. Each of the organ systems has specific organs as its parts,
and it has particular functions. So, the digestive system has the stomach and intestines, and it
helps to digest food taken in from outside the body. The musculoskeletal system, which is made
up of bones and muscles, holds the body parts together and helps the body move. When there
is a disease, either the functioning of one or more systems of the body will change for the
worse. These changes give rise to symptoms and signs of disease. Symptoms of disease are the
things we feel as being ‘wrong’. Such as headache, cough, loose motions, a wound with pus
these are all symptoms. These indicate that there may be a disease, but they don’t indicate
what the disease is. For example, a headache may just stress or very rarely it may mean
meningitis, or any one of a dozen different diseases.
The manifestations of disease will be different depending on a number of factors. Some
diseases last for only very short periods of time, and these are called acute diseases. We all
know from experience that the common cold lasts only a few days. Other ailments can last for a
long time, even as much as a lifetime, and are called chronic diseases. An example is the
infection causing elephantiasis, which is very common in some parts of India.
(i) Which of the following is the function of musculoskeletal system?
(a) Digest food taken in from outside the body
(b) Holds the body parts together
(c) Helps the body move
(d) Both b & c
(ii) Which of the following is the function of Digestive system?
(a) Digestion of food
(b) Holds the body parts together
(c) Helps the body move
(d) Both b & c
(iii)Diseases that last for only very short periods of time are termed as:
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(a) Chronic Diseases

(b) Symptoms
(c) Acute Diseases
(iv) Define Acute Diseases.
(v) Define Chronic Diseases.
2. Acute and chronic diseases have different effects on our health. Any disease that causes poor
functioning of some part of the body will affect our health. This is because all functions of the
body are necessary for being healthy. But an acute disease, which is over very soon, will not
have time to cause major effects on general health, while a chronic disease will do so.
For example, cough and cold, which all of us have from time to time. Most of us get better and
become well within a week or so. And there are no lasting effects on our health.
When we get infected with a chronic disease such as tuberculosis of the lungs, then being ill
over the years does make us lose weight and feel tired all the time. We are likely to have
prolonged general poor health if we have a chronic disease. Chronic diseases have very drastic
long-term effects on people’s health as compared to acute diseases.
(i) Which of the following is the example of chronic disease?
(a) Cold
(b) Cough
(c) Tuberculosis
(d) All of the above
(ii) Identify correct statement given below,
Statement 1 – Chronic diseases have very drastic long-term effects on health.
Statement 2 – Acute diseases does not cause major effects on general health.
Statement 3 – Chronic diseases last for only very short periods of time.
Statement 4 – Acute diseases last for very long periods of time.
(a) Both 1 & 2
(b) Only 1
(c) Both 3 & 4
(d) All of the above
(iii) Which of the following is the example of acute disease?
(a) Cold & Cough
(b) Tuberculosis
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(c) Both a & b

(d) None of the above
(iv) What is the distinguishing feature of Acute Diseases?
(v) What is the distinguishing feature of Chronic Diseases?