T Level Health - Pathogens

T Level Health, Core B core science concepts. Template adapted from Canva.com.
B1.14 The characteristics of key microorganisms:
Types of
microorganisms
Average size of
microorganism
Type of cell
bacterium 0.5 µm – 5 µm prokaryotic
fungus 5 µm – 50 µm eukaryotic
protist 1 µm – 2 mm eukaryotic
virus 20 nm – 350 nm N/A
B1.15 The definition and types of pathogen, including common types of conditions/disease caused by
them:
• pathogen: microorganism which are the causative agents of disease:
Pathogen Condition/disease
bacteria
chlamydia, gonorrhoea,
tuberculosis
viruses
common cold, mumps and
measles
fungi yeast infection (thrush)
prions Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD)
protists malaria
parasites toxoplasmosis
B1.16 The different ways in which pathogens may enter the body:
• direct transmission:
o physical contact with an infected person or contaminated surface (for example skin-to-skin
contact)
o sharing of needles
o unprotected sexual contact
o airborne: pathogen is carried by dust or droplets in the air, can exist in the air for some time (for
example inhaling infected droplets)
• indirect transmission:
o vehicle transmission (for example ingesting infected food or water (faecal-oral)); blood from
inanimate objects (for example bedding)
o being bitten by an infected ‘vector’ (for example insect bites)
B1.17 How infectious diseases can spread amongst populations and communities:
• inadequate sanitation (for example lack of access to clean water and inadequate sewage disposal)
• lack of social distancing due to dense population
• lack of accessible health promotion information
B1.30 The commonly used classification systems of diseases and disorders:
• topographical:
o by bodily region or system
• anatomical:
o by organ or tissue
• physiological:
o by function or effect