BIOLOGY CLASS IX

DISEASES
What is health?
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing of a person.
Factors affecting health.
The factors affecting health include:
1. Physical environmental factors. E.g. Heat, cold, light etc.
2. Social environmental factors. E.g. Work pressure, housing
conditions.
3. Nutritional habits and balanced diet.
4. Personal hygiene
5. Public cleanliness
6. Yoga and regular exercise.
What is virulence?
Virulence is the ability of the pathogen to invade the host and
cause damage to it.
What is pathogenicity?
The ability of a pathogen to gain entry and produce symptoms of
a disease is known as its pathogenicity.

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What is pathogen?
The disease causing microorganism (bacteria, virus etc.) is called
as a pathogen.
What are deficiency diseases?
1. Disease developed due to deficiency of dietary vitamins,
minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats are called
deficiency diseases.
2. Examples: Beriberi caused due to deficiency of
Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Kwashiorkor and
Marasmus caused due to the deficiency of proteins in
the diet.
What are contagious diseases?
Diseases which spread by just mere close contact between
the infected person and the susceptible person are called
contagious diseases.
Examples: Small pox, Chicken pox, Measles, Mumps, etc.
What are non-contagious diseases?
Diseases which spread from an infected person to a healthy
individual via, a transport vehicle vector such as air, water or
food are called non-contagious diseases.
Examples: Malaria, Hepatitis, Diabetes etc.
What are non-communicable diseases? Give some
examples.

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If a disease does not spread from one person to another

person it is said to be non-communicable. Non-communicable
diseases are caused from improper nutrition, heredity, or due
to the factors involving the environment.
Some of the examples of non-communicable diseases are
cancer, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism,
hypertension, gout etc.
What are congenital diseases?
1. Diseases which develop in an embryo during
pregnancy and are present since birth are called
congenital diseases.
2. They are inheritable.
3. It may be caused due to Chromosomal aberration (e.g.
Turners syndrome, Downs syndrome etc.) or Gene
mutations (Colour blindness, Haemophilia, Sickle cell
anaemia etc.)
Difference between Communicable and Non-communicable
diseases
Communicable
diseases

Non-communicable
diseases

These are diseases

which spread from one
person to another.

These are diseases

which do not spread
from one individual to

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Communicable
diseases

Non-communicable
diseases
the other.

Caused by pathogens.

Caused by many other

agents, but not
pathogens.

What is a drug?
Drug is defined as any substance, when taken by the living
organism, may modify one or more of its functions.
Drug is a chemical substance which when taken alters the
metabolism of the body.
What is drug addiction?
The regular habit of intake of drugs leading to physical,
mental and psychological dependence is called drug addiction.
It is the self-administration of drugs for non-medical
reasons.
It is described as a state, psychic and also physical, resulting from
the interaction between a living organism and a drug, shown by
behavioural responses that always include a compulsion to take
the drug on a regular basis to experience its psychic effects and
avoid discomfort of its absence.

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A person may show dependency on more than one drug.

Addiction is harmful for the individual because it leads to mental
and physical degeneration and is also harmful for the
society.
Drug addiction reasons
The reasons for drug addiction are:
1. Association with drug addicts
2. Curiosity
3. Insecurity among students due to drop in academic
performance.
4. Unexplained absence from school/college.
5. To overcome frustration and depressions.
6. Relief from pain.
7. Looking for a different world
8. Desire to do more work
9. Excitement
10.

Aggressive behaviour

11.

Deteriorating relationship with family members or

friends.
12.

Depression and fatigue

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13.

Adventure, false motive.

Uses of drugs.
Drugs are prescribed by physicians for:
1. Fighting infections
2. Curing diseases
3. Altering moods
4. Enhancing physical and mental functions
However, the complete dependency of a patient on drugs is called
as Drug dependency.