Questions and Answers
Q2. Identify the non-communicable diseases.
(i) Typhoid (ii) Asthma (iii) Diabetes (iv) Measles Answer: (b) (ii) and (iii) Reasoning: Asthma and Diabetes are lifestyle/environmental diseases. Typhoid and Measles are caused by pathogens.
Q3. Flu Outbreak in School
(i) Immediate actions by school:
- Isolate students showing symptoms.
- Encourage mask-wearing and frequent hand washing.
- Sanitize surfaces (desks, door handles).
(ii) Response to a coughing classmate:
- Politely offer them a tissue or suggest they wear a mask.
- “Hey, you sound unwell. Maybe you should visit the nurse to get checked out so you can feel better.”
(iii) Protecting yourself:
- Wash hands frequently.
- Avoid touching your face (eyes, nose, mouth).
- Maintain distance.
Q4. Travelling to a Malaria-prevalent city
(i) Precautions:
- Before: Check if preventative medication is needed.
- During: Wear long-sleeved clothes, use insect repellent.
- After: Monitor for fever for a few weeks upon return.
(ii) Explaining to sibling:
- “Mosquitoes carry the malaria germ. The net stops them from biting us while we sleep, so the germ can’t get into our blood.”
(iii) Ignoring advisories:
- High risk of contracting malaria, which can lead to severe fever, organ damage, or death if untreated.
Q5. Uncle smoking to fit in
(i) What to say:
- “Uncle, I love you and want you to be healthy. Smoking damages lungs and causes cancer. Please don’t do it just for friends.”
(ii) If a friend offers a cigarette:
- Say a firm “No” and leave the situation. “No thanks, I don’t smoke. It kills your stamina for sports.”
(iii) School’s role:
- Awareness workshops, strict no-smoking zones, and counselling for peer pressure.
Q6. Misconception about Antibiotics
Saniya’s claim: “Antibiotics cure any infection.” Vinita’s response questions:
- “Did you know antibiotics only kill bacteria?”
- “If you have a viral flu, how will a medicine that kills bacteria help you?”
- “Do you know about antibiotic resistance?”
Q7. Dengue Cases Graph Analysis
(i) Which three months were cases highest?
- July (65), August (65), September (65).
(ii) Which month(s) were cases lowest?
- January (10).
(iii) Environmental factors for peak months:
- July-September corresponds to the Monsoon season. Rain leads to stagnant water puddles, which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
(iv) Preventive steps:
- Fogging (fumigation) before monsoon.
- Public awareness to empty coolers and pots.
- Releasing guppy fish in ponds to eat mosquito larvae.
Q9. Why no antibiotics for viral infections?
Answer: Antibiotics are chemicals designed to disrupt specific structures in bacteria (like their cell walls). Viruses do not have these structures; they live inside human cells. Therefore, antibiotics cannot harm viruses and taking them contributes to antibiotic resistance.
Q10. Disease from contaminated water?
Options: Hepatitis A, Tuberculosis, Poliomyelitis, Cholera, Chickenpox. Answer:
- Hepatitis A (Yes)
- Cholera (Yes)
- Poliomyelitis (Yes - spreads via fecal-oral route/water)
- Tuberculosis is Airborne. Chickenpox is contact/airborne.
Q11. Immune Response (First vs Second Exposure)
Answer: This is due to Immunological Memory.
- First Exposure: The body takes time to identify the pathogen and create specific antibodies. This is slow.
- Memory Cells: Some immune cells remain as “memory cells” after the first infection.
- Second Exposure: These memory cells recognize the pathogen immediately and produce massive amounts of antibodies instantly, often destroying the germ before we even feel sick.