CHAPTER 8 (BIOLOGY), CLASS VIII, DISEASES AND FIRST AID

A. GIVE REASONS FOR THE FOLLOWING (TO BE PASTED IN THE NOTE-BOOK)

1. A bandage or a cloth is tied above a wound from a snake bite.
A bandage or a cloth is tied above a wound from a snake bite in order to prevent poison from spreading.
2. One should not take narcotic drugs.
Narcotic drugs such as morphine, cocaine, heroin and opium cause insensible condition in the body. Therefore, one
should not take these drugs.
3. Public hygiene is equally as important as personal hygiene.
Personal hygiene means keeping ourselves clean whereas public hygiene means keeping our surrounding clean. If our
surroundings are clean, then it gives us good mental and physical health. Therefore, public hygiene is equally as
important as personal hygiene.
4. Biting nails should be strictly avoided.
Biting nails should be strictly avoided as the nails may have dirt and pathogens.
5. We should not eat polished rice.
Polished rice is an example of processed food. Their processing removes many of the Vitamin B and may increase the
risk of Beriberi disease. Therefore, we should not eat polished rice.
6. Droplets released while coughing and sneezing can cause diseases.
Droplets released while coughing and sneezing may contain a large number of pathogens.
B. EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING TERMS (TO BE PASTED IN THE NOTE-BOOK)
1. Allergy: It is a condition when an individual develops hypersensitivity to a specific substance like dust or pollens.
2. Fever: It is a condition in which the body temperature increases, thus causing an increase in the pulse rate.
3. Health: According to World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental
and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
4. Hereditary diseases: Diseases that are inherited from parents to their offspring are called hereditary diseases.
Example: Haemophilia and thalassaemia.
5. Vector: The carrier organisms that transmit diseases are called vector. Example: mosquito and house fly.
6. Third-degree burns: Burns that extend deeper and can damage the skin, underlying fat, muscle, and even the bone
are known as third-degree burns.
7. Immunization: Immunization is the process where body builds up immunity against any particular disease.
8. Vaccination: The introduction of vaccine into the body through an injection or orally is called vaccination.
9. Disease: Disease is the departure from normal health through structural or functional disorder of the body.
10. Pathogens: Disease causing microorganisms are known as pathogens. Example: Virus, bacteria or protozoan.
11. Measles: It is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory system, usually of children, spread by contact.
Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Its symptoms are
fever (may rise to more than 1040F), nasal discharge (coryza), redness of the eyes, coughing and eruption of red
papules.
12. Addiction: The physical or mental dependence of a person on drugs or certain objects is known as addiction.
13. Psychotrophic drugs: These drugs are used to treat psychosis (a group of mental disorders such as depression
and schizophrenia). Example: Morphine, cocaine, heroin etc.
C. FILL IN THE BLANKS (TO BE PASTED IN THE NOTE-BOOK)
Sl. Statement Term
1 The idea of vaccination was given by ………….. Edward Jenner
2 ......... is the scientific term for vaccination. Prophylaxis
3 Dengue is a viral disease spread by ……….. mosquito. Aedes aegypti
4 Malaria is caused by ……………. protozoan. Plasmodium
5 In ................. disease, the haemoglobin of the RBC is defective and the child needs Thalassaemia
blood transfusion very frequently.
6 ............... is caused by the bite of female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria
7 ............... and ................ are two viral diseases caused by mosquito bites. Dengu and
chikungunya
8 Diabetes is caused due to under-secretion of................ Insulin hormone
9 Anaemia is caused due to the deficiency of .......... iron
10 Haemophilia is a disease caused due to slow ............ of the blood. clotting
11 ........... a disease which causes opaque eye lens and hence blindness. Cataract
12 ........ is the immediate help given to a victim to prevent an injury from worsening. First aid
13 Infection caused by inhaling fine drops emitted into the air while coughing and Droplet infection
sneezing is called........................

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 CHAPTER 8 (BIOLOGY), CLASS VIII, DISEASES AND FIRST AID

D. TRUE OR FALSE (TO BE PASTED IN THE NOTE-BOOK)

Sl. Statement T/F
1 A mosquito is a vector for malaria. True
2 Common cold is spread by droplet infection. True
3 House fly is a pathogen. False (Vector)
4 Dengue is caused by Aedes aegypti mosquito. True
5 Vacca stands for tree. False (Cow)
6 Salk’s vaccine for polio uses live germs. False (killed germs)
7 Antibodies and antitoxins are the same terms. True
8 Venom stands for vaccine. False (poison)
9 Temperature of body more than 98.60C indicates the state of fever. False (98.60F)
10 COVID-19 is the disease caused by the corona virus called SARS-CoV-2. True
11 The science which deals with the occurrence, determination and control of a disease False (epidemiology)
is known as ornithology.
12 The power to resist and overcome infection provided by the immune system is True
called immunity.
13 Dengue is also known as break-bone fever. True
14 Communicable diseases are infectious diseases. True
15 Aedes aegypti is a mosquito which can transmit chikungunya and dengue virus. True
16 Arthritis is a non-communicable disease. True
17 Cancer is a communicable disease. False (Measles)
18 Hay fever and asthma are allergy diseases. True
19 Kwashiorkor is a viral disease caused by the bite of a mad dog. False (Rabies/
Hydrophobia)
20 Cataract is a disease of the eye. True
21 The first antibiotic (Penicillin) was discovered by Alexander Fleming. True
22 Conjunctivitis is a viral and highly infectious disease of the eye. True
23 Antibodies are substances (proteins) produced by our body to attack the pathogens. True
24 5G mobile networks spread COVID19. False
25 Viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoan are the most common vectors. False (pathogens)
26 Cancer is an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of the cells in any part of the body. True
27 Malaria is caused by virus. False
(Protozoan:
Plasmodium)
E. DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING (TO BE PASTED IN THE NOTE-BOOK)
1. First-degree burns and second-degree burns: First degree burns are superficial and affect only epidermis while
second-degree burns are more dangerous and affect the underlying tissues and blood vessels.
2. Communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases: Diseases that can be transmitted or spread from an
infected person to a healthy person are called communicable diseases such as cholera, viral fever, chicken pox,
malaria, mumps, influenza, typhoid etc. while diseases that cannot be transmitted or spread from one person to
another are called non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart attack etc.

F.SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (TO BE WRITTEN IN THE NOTE-BOOK)

Q 1. Mention different items to be kept in the first aid box.
A 1. Adhesive tape, alcohol wipes, antibiotic ointment, bandages in different sizes, gauze rolls, sanitizer, pain relievers and
scissors should be kept in the first aid box.
Q 2. What are the scientific names of Vitamin A, C and D.
A 2. Vitamin A: Retinol, Vitamin C: Ascorbic acid, Vitamin D: Calciferol.
Q 3. Write a short note on Mumps.
A 3. Mumps is a viral infection that primarily affects saliva-producing (salivary) glands located near ears. It can cause
swelling in one or both of these glands particularly in children. It can be serious, but most people recover completely
within two weeks. There is no medicine to treat mumps. Because it is a viral infection, antibiotics also do not work.
Q 4. What is the advantage of immunization?
A 4. During the process of immunization, the body of an individual is made resistant to a specific disease by
vaccination.

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 CHAPTER 8 (BIOLOGY), CLASS VIII, DISEASES AND FIRST AID
Q 5. Name some diseases for which immunization is under way in India.
A 5. Tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, mumps, measles, tuberculosis and polio are some diseases for which
immunization is under way to immunize infants in India.
Q 6. What do you mean by measles?
A 6. Measles is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory system usually of children spread by contact. Its
symptoms are nasal discharge, redness of eyes, coughing, fever and eruption of red papules. MMR vaccine is
effective against measles.
Q 7. Name two dietary deficiency and degenerative diseases.
A 7. Dietary deficiency diseases: Scurvy and Night blindness
Degenerative diseases: Arthritis and cataract.
Q 8. Write a note on Dengue.
A 8. It is a mosquito borne disease caused by the dengue virus. Its vector is Aedes aegypti mosquito. Symptoms begin
3-14 days after infection and may include drop in blood platelets count, high fever (up to 106 0F), headache, muscle
and joint pain and skin rashes. In extreme cases, it can lead to excessive bleeding and death.
G. LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (TO BE WRITTEN IN THE NOTE-BOOK)
Q1. Write a note on Chikungunya.
A 1.Chikungunya is a viral disease (Alpha virus) which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes such as
Aedes aegypti. Symptoms appear between 4 and 7 days after the patient has been bitten by the infected mosquito and
these include: High fever (104°F), joint pain, joint swelling, rash, headache, muscle pain, nausea and fatigue.
Chikungunya is rarely fatal. Symptoms are generally self-limiting and last for 2–3 days. There is no vaccine to
prevent or medicine to treat chikungunya virus.
Q 2. How do communicable diseases spread?
A 2. Following are some of the ways spreading communicable diseases:
(i) Through contact with an infected person: Diseases like ringworm, measles, common cold, chickenpox and
tuberculosis are spread by contact with an infected person, his saliva, utensils or clothing.
(ii) Through the air (droplet infection): When an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes, small droplets. These
droplets contain a large number of pathogens. When these droplets are breathed in by a person available nearby, s/he
gets infected. Example: Common cold, Flu, Rubella etc.
(iii) Through infected food and water: Food and water get infected if they are not kept in the clean place. They can
also get infected by germs carried by flies, cockroaches, rats, etc. or if they are handled with dirty hands. Diseases
like cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea, jaundice etc. are spread by eating infected food or by drinking unclean water.
(iv) Through bites of insects (Vectors): Insects like mosquitoes and fleas spread diseases. These insects such the
blood of a person infected with the disease and become carriers of the germs. When these insects bite a healthy
person, they inject these germs into the blood of the healthy person. Dengue fever and malaria are spread by
mosquitoes.
(v) Through wounds and cuts: Germs of disease like tetanus can enter a person’s body through cuts or wound in the
skin.
Q. 3. List some unhealthy habits.
A. 3. Following is the list of some unhealthy habits:
(i) Poor personal hygiene.
(ii) Lack of balanced diet.
(iii) Over-consumption of street or junkfood.
(iv) Insecure disposal of solid waste.
(v) Drug abuse.
(vi) Irregular life style.
Q. 4. Describe the various methods in which diseases can be prevented.
A. 4. Diseases can be prevented through following methods:
i) We should take balanced diet.
(ii) We should avoid uncovered food items.
(iii) We should drink purified or chlorinated water.
(iv) We should wash hands before and after eating the food and after using the toilet.
(v) We should avoid sharing personal items such as handkerchiefs and towels.
(vi) We should cover the mouth with a handkerchief while sneezing.
(vii) We should work out daily.
(viii) Vegetables and fruits should be washed properly before eating.
(ix) Garbage should be kept in covered bins.
(x) Sewage should be treated before releasing into water bodies.
(xi) Water should not be allowed to stagnate in nearby areas as it provides breeding ground for vectors.

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 CHAPTER 8 (BIOLOGY), CLASS VIII, DISEASES AND FIRST AID

Q 5. Write a short note on AIDS.

A 5.AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is caused by the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). It is a
disease of disorder of the body’s immune system. HIV attacks immune cells called CD-4 cells and the body of AIDS
infected person stops producing natural defense against diseases and patient often dies of cancer or other infections. It
is transmitted through: (i) Sexual contact with an infected person carrying AIDS. (ii) Blood transfusion involving
transfusion of blood from an AIDS infected person to a normal person. (iii) Use of infected needles. (iv) Infected
pregnant mother to her unborn child. AIDS is not transmitted by casual social contacts such as shaking hands and
sharing a drink.
Q 6. Describe different types of vaccine.
A 6. Five types of vaccines are currently available:
(i) Killed (inactivated) vaccines: These are made from a protein or other small pieces taken from a virus or bacteria.
The body reacts to them and produces antibodies. The TAB vaccine for typhoid, Rabies vaccine for dog bites and
Salk’s vaccine for poliomyelitis are the examples.
(ii) Live virus vaccines (weakened germs): The living germs are treated in such a way that they become very weak
and as such, they cannot cause the disease. They can induce antibody formation in the body. The measles, mumps,
rubella (MMR) and BCG vaccine for tuberculosis are the examples.
(iii) Live virus vaccines (fully virulent/ strong germs): In this vaccination, a person is inoculated with a virus
(harmless) which is very similar to the disease causing virus. For example, a person is inoculated with cowpox virus
which is very similar to small pox virus.
(iv) Toxoid vaccines: These vaccines contain a toxin or chemical made by the bacteria or virus. These poisons are
made harmless by adding formalin. Examples are the diphtheria and tetanus vaccines.
(v) Biosynthetic vaccines: These are vaccines that contain manmade substances very similar to pieces of the virus or
bacteria. The Hepatitis B vaccine is an example.

H. READING PRACTICE
Q 1. Give a brief account of first aid needed for different emergencies.
A 1. Refer to the book.
Q 2. Give the name, causative agents, symptoms and prevention of some communicable diseases.
A 2. Refer to the book (Table).

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