S4.4.1 For the adult
Kinds of disease
Why can I catch a cold from a friend, but nobody can catch heart disease from me?
What this chapter teaches
A communicable disease is caused by a pathogen and can pass between people. A non-communicable disease cannot. The four kinds of pathogen are bacteria, viruses, fungi and protists. Most bacteria are harmless, and a virus is not a cell.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- Is heart disease communicable? How do you know?
- Can you name one disease for each of the four kinds of pathogen?
- Why is a virus different from a bacterium?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Sort diseases into communicable and non-communicable
- Name the four kinds of pathogen with one disease each
What they copy into their notebook
A disease that a pathogen causes and that passes between people is communicable. Other diseases are non-communicable. The pathogens are bacteria, viruses, fungi and protists. Tuberculosis, measles, athlete's foot and malaria are one example of each.