Communicable diseases – pathogen casebook, spread and plant disease
BiologyHealth & DiseaseAges 16–17
Loading…
Sign in to playA casebook of 12 pathogens by type: viruses (measles, HIV, tobacco mosaic virus), bacteria (Salmonella, gonorrhoea, tuberculosis, cholera), fungi (rose black spot, athlete's foot), a protist (malaria and its mosquito life cycle), a prion (vCJD) and a tapeworm, each with its transmission, symptoms, how it causes disease, prevention and treatment, plus an animation of the pathogen damaging cells. A spread screen lets you apply hand washing, vaccination, nets, condoms, isolation, clean water or fungicide and watch case numbers and R change. A plant screen asks you to diagnose virus, fungus, aphid or mineral deficiency and shows plant defences.
Lesson: Communicable diseases: pathogens, transmission and control; plant disease and plant defences
What it shows
Pathogens are microorganisms or agents that cause communicable diseases. Viruses reproduce inside cells and damage them; bacteria multiply quickly and release toxins; fungi grow hyphae into tissues and spread by spores; protists such as Plasmodium often need a vector; prions are misfolded proteins. Each pathogen spreads by a particular route – air, food, water, direct or sexual contact, or a vector – so a control works only when it breaks that route. Vaccination protects people before infection, antibiotics kill only bacteria, and plants rely on physical, chemical and mechanical defences.
How to use
In Pathogen casebook, choose a Disease to watch its animation and read its card; the table compares the pathogen types. In Spread and control, pick a Disease, tick controls such as Hand washing and food hygiene or Condoms, set Vaccinated, and press Run again; each finished run is recorded. In Plant disease, use the tools on a mystery plant, then choose a Diagnosis, or switch Activity to Plant defences.
Parameters you can change
- Screen Pathogen casebook, Spread and control, Plant disease
- Casebook disease Measles, HIV/AIDS, Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Salmonella food poisoning, Gonorrhoea, Tuberculosis (TB), Cholera, Rose black spot, Athlete's foot, Malaria, vCJD (prion), Pork tapeworm
- Spreading disease Measles, Salmonella food poisoning, Cholera, Gonorrhoea, Malaria, Rose black spot
- Share vaccinated 0–100 %
- Plant to diagnose Mystery plant (random), Healthy plant, Tobacco mosaic virus, Black spot fungus, Aphids, Nitrate deficiency, Magnesium deficiency
Questions to explore
- Why do condoms have no effect on measles, while mosquito nets work very well against malaria?
- Why can antibiotics treat tuberculosis and gonorrhoea but not measles?
- How can you tell a plant with tobacco mosaic virus from one lacking magnesium?
