What is Disease? Allergies, Degenerative & Deficiency Disease

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Disease refers to a medical condition in which the affected organ or the body starts to function in an abnormal manner. It might not be due to any external injury. Every disease exerts some sort of signs or symptoms which shows the presence of that disease. Due to disease the normal functioning of the cells and tissues get disrupted. 

Key Takeaways: Disease, Allergies, Degenerative disease, Deficiency disease, Infectious disease, Non-infectious disease


What is Diseases?

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Disease can be defined as an abnormal condition of the human body. This affects the structure and function of our body. They have a very negative effect on our body and its system. Diseases are also called medical conditions. They can be identified with some particular signs and symptoms shown by our body. So our bodies do not function properly. 

Diseases

Diseases

They are caused by various factors. For example a person gets affected by viruses, fungi, bacteria,or other microorganisms which can't be seen with naked eyes. If a person stays in unfavorable conditions he will surely suffer from disease.This could vary depending upon the environment,the standard of living, improper intake of food,or other reasons.

Some diseases are communicable as well as non-communicable. If a person gets infected with the disease and it is communicable then he should avoid meeting with other people. Because the virus can pass through them to another person and in this way the other ones get affected.In simple terms, those diseases that can be spread from one person to another are known as communicable diseases whereas those that can't be spread from one person to another are called non-communicable diseases. 

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Types of Diseases

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Diseases are of various types and every one of them has their own symptoms and cure. There are mainly two types of diseases based on their transmission

  • Infectious Disease

Infectious disease can be defined as the disease that can be transmitted from one person to another. It is also known as communicable disease and mainly caused by microorganisms. These microorganisms are known as Pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, worms, protozoa, rickettsia etc. These types of diseases are spread through humans or animals. During coughing, and sneezing, some particles of viruses are transmitted to another person. Cholera, Malaria, are some of the examples of Infectious Disease.

Infectious Disease

Infectious Disease

  • Non-infectious Disease

These are non transmissible diseases and are caused by some pathogens as well as various other factors such as ages, gender, deficiency of nutrients, generation etc. It is a non communicable disease and can not be transmitted from one person to another. Cataract, Alzheimer, Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart Disease are some of the examples of Non infectious disease.

Non-Infectious Disease

Non-Infectious Disease

Degenerative Disease 

The diseases which are caused because of the malfunctioning of human body organs are known as degenerative diseases. This can happen as a result of deterioration of body cells over time. For example, Osteoporosis is caused due to the weakness of bones which may increase the risks of fracturing of bones. Alzheimer is also an example of degenerative disease that is caused by aging and bodywear.

Allergies

The allergy is a type of disease which happens when the human body becomes hypersensitive because of some foreign substances such as allergens. In these diseases, the immune system of the human body starts reacting abnormally due to the presence of foreign substances. Dust, feathers, pollen, mites, animal dander, latex, and some food products are some types of common allergens of the human body. For example, Coughing, Sneezing, Readiness of eyes, Itching of skin etc.

Deficiency Disease

The disease that is caused due to the deficiency of hormones, proteins, minerals and vitamins in the human body is known as deficiency disease. For example, Some diseases such as diabetes are caused due to the inability of the human body to produce insulin and kwashiorkor that is caused due to the deficiency of proteins in the diet. Goitres is a type of disease in which the thyroid gland of the human body starts increasing. It is mainly caused due to the deficiency of iodine in the food.

Also Read: Parathyroid Hormone


Classification of Diseases

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The diseases can further be classified into various types based on their nature and the parts where they are affected. Below we have discussed about the different types of diseases

Classification of Disease Explanation Examples
Topographical These types of diseases are affected on the vascular, chest, gastrointestinal and abdominal parts. ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialist or gastrointestinal specialist
Anatomical In this type of disease, organs or human tissues are mostly affected. Liver, Heart, Kidney Diseases
Physiological This disease affects the function, metabolism, respiration or in the digestion parts of the body. Diabetes and lungs problem
Epidemiological It may refer to the rate of distribution, occurence and the control of any particular disease. Plague and Influenza
Pathological It considers the nature of the disease. Cells of uncontrolled growth and various inflammatory diseases

Causes of Disease

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There are different types of diseases that can be affected by various types of causative agents such as mosquito, amoeba etc. Below we have a list of diseases along with its causative agents.

Disease Types Causative Agents
Chicken pox  Varicella Zoster Virus
Plague Pasteurella Pestis
Cholera Vibrio Comma (Vibrio Cholerae)
Anthrax Bacillus Anthracis
Meningoencephalitis Naegleria Fowleri (amoeba)
Whooping Cough Bordetella Pertussis
Tetanus Clostridium Tetani
Hepatitis Hepatitis A, B, C, D Viruses
Human Papillomavirus infection Papillomavirus
AIDS Immunodeficiency viruses

Disease Prevention Methods

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There are different types of diseases which can be cured or prevented by taking various types of measures. Personal hygiene and healthy foods are the important factors in prevention of various infectious or deficiency diseases. We can also use eradication of vectors that carry pathogens for the prevention. The use of vaccination at the right time is also an important factor in prevention. 

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Things to Remember

  • The diseases can happen because of some disorder or malfunctioning of the human body which can destroy good health. It can be caused by various reasons and every one of the diseases has its own symptoms.
  • The acute disease is the disease in which symptoms can onset for a shorter duration and rapidly change whereas the chronic diseases can remain for a longer duration.
  • The infectious disease can be transmitted easily from one to another whereas the non infectious disease is non transmissible.
  • The organisms that are responsible for diseases can be considered as Pathogens. It can be either a bacteria or virus or fungi etc.
  • Pneumonia, Tetanus, Syphilis are some of the examples of bacterial disease and Measles, Polio is caused due to some viruses.

Sample Questions

Ques. What are deficiency diseases and their causes? (2 marks)

Ans. The diseases that are caused due to the lack of essential elements such as minerals and vitamins in our human body are known as deficiency diseases. Some of the examples of deficiency diseases are Beriberi caused by the deficiency of Vitamin B1 and anemia caused by the deficiency of iron in the body.

Ques. Which diseases are caused by malnutrition? (2 marks)

Ans. This can be affected due to either a lesser amount or a higher amount of nutrients in the human body. This problem can lead to some serious health problems such as diabetes, stunted growth, heart diseases or eye problems.

Ques. What is physiological disease? (2 marks)

Ans. Physiological disease can be defined as the disorder in the human body due to the abnormal growth pattern or abnormal internal or external conditions of fruits because of some adversal environmental conditions such as harmful gasses in the environment, inadequate supply of growth, moisture, light etc.

Ques. What causes the disorder called kwashiorkor? (2 marks)

Ans. The fundamental causes of kwashiorkor is due to not eating sufficient protein or other fundamental nutrients and minerals. It's generally normal in non-industrial nations with a restricted food supply, helpless cleanliness, and an absence of training about the significance of giving infants and kids a sufficient diet.

Ques. What is osteomalacia and rickets? (2 marks)

Ans. The softening of bones in the human body is known as osteomalacia that is majorly affected by the problem of Vitamin D that helps the human body in absorbing calcium. The human needs calcium for the hardness and maintaining the strength of the bones. It may also be called rickets in the human body.

Ques. What do you mean by Fungal Disease? Which type of diseases are caused by bacteria? (3 marks)

Ans. This is a kind of infectious disease caused by various fungi such as Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton. Ringworm is also a kind of fungal disease caused by fungi. Intense itching, scalp, dryness, wetness, scaly lesions on skins are some of the characteristics of fungal disease. 

Cholera, diphtheria, Lyme disease, gonorrhea, bacterial meningitis, tetanus, and syphilis are some of the serious bacterial diseases.

Ques. What is the cause of Goiters? (2 marks)

Ans. This can be caused by the deficiency of iodine in the human body. In this there is an enlargement of the thyroid gland due to the blocking of esophagus as well as some other organs of the body such as chest and neck. It may affect the difficulty of eating and breathing.

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CBSE CLASS XII Related Questions

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    Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 
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      • 2.
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                          CBSE CLASS XII Previous Year Papers

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