Pathogens, defences and vaccinationIB MYP Biology: Mind map

Exam questions on Pathogens, defences and vaccination

1. A public health team in Dhaka is investigating four illnesses in a district: cholera, influenza, athlete's foot and malaria. Each one is caused by a different type of pathogen and each one spreads in a different way.
   Describe how cholera is transmitted and outline one way of preventing its spread.2 marks
2. A student in Lima falls on rough ground and cuts her knee. That evening she also breathes in dust and swallows some food that contains a few bacteria. Over the following days she stays healthy and the cut heals.
   Outline how the skin and the mucus in the airways help to prevent infection.2 marks
3. Amira is 14 and lives in Amman. She has a fever and a headache. Her doctor tells her that the illness is caused by a virus and decides not to prescribe antibiotics, although her mother asks for them. Amira's white blood cells have already started to respond to the infection.
   Describe three ways in which white blood cells defend the body against pathogens.3 marks