Causes of Infectious Disease

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Inquiry question: How are diseases transmitted?

Describe a variety of infectious diseases caused by pathogens, including microorganisms, macroorganisms and non-cellular pathogens, and collect primary and secondary-sourced data and information relating to disease transmission, including: (ACSBL097, ACSBL098, ACSBL116, ACSBL117)

• classifying different pathogens that cause disease in plants and animals (ACSBL117)
• investigating the transmission of a disease during an epidemic
• design and conduct a practical investigation relating to the microbial testing of water or food samples
• investigate modes of transmission of infectious diseases, including direct contact, indirect contact and vector transmission

Investigate the work of Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur, to explain the causes and transmission of infectious diseases, including:

• Koch’s postulates
• Pasteur’s experiments on microbial contamination

Assess the causes and effects of diseases on agricultural production, including but not limited to:

• plant diseases
• animal diseases

Compare the adaptations of different pathogens that facilitate their entry into and transmission between hosts (ACSBL118)

Extract from HSC Biology Stage 6 Syllabus. © 2017 Board of Studies NSW.