Chapter 13: Why Do We Fall Ill- Class 9 Science (NCERT):

1. Which of the following is a chronic A) Culex

disease? B) Anopheles
C) Aedes
A) Common cold D) Tse-tse
B) Influenza
C) Tuberculosis Answer: B) Anopheles
D) Diarrhea
6. Which of the following diseases is
Answer: C) Tuberculosis caused by a virus?

2. The term 'health' is defined as: A) Typhoid

B) Cholera
A) Absence of disease C) AIDS
B) Physical fitness D) Anthrax
C) Mental and social well-being
D) Complete physical, mental, and social Answer: C) AIDS
well-being
7. Which one of the following is not a
Answer: D) Complete physical, mental, and cause of disease?
social well-being
A) Genetic disorders
3. Which one of the following is not a B) Nutritional deficiencies
communicable disease? C) Pathogens
D) Exercise
A) Malaria
B) Cancer Answer: D) Exercise
C) Tuberculosis
D) AIDS 8. Disease-causing microorganisms are
called:
Answer: B) Cancer
A) Parasites
4. Which of the following organisms B) Pathogens
causes malaria? C) Vectors
D) Hosts
A) Bacteria
B) Virus Answer: B) Pathogens
C) Plasmodium
D) Worm 9. Which of the following is a bacterial
disease?
Answer: C) Plasmodium
A) Dengue
5. The mosquito that spreads malaria is: B) Malaria
C) Cholera
D) Polio

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Answer: C) Cholera C) Contaminated food
D) Unprotected sex
10. Which organ is affected by
tuberculosis? Answer: D) Unprotected sex

A) Heart 15. Which is a non-infectious disease?

B) Liver
C) Lungs A) Cancer
D) Kidneys B) Influenza
C) Measles
Answer: C) Lungs D) Tuberculosis

11. The condition of a person unable to Answer: A) Cancer

carry out normal activities is:
16. A vector is:
A) Infection
B) Health A) An organism that causes disease
C) Disease B) An organism that spreads disease
D) Immunity C) A nutrient
D) A drug
Answer: C) Disease
Answer: B) An organism that spreads
12. Which of the following is not a means disease
of spread of infectious diseases?
17. Which of the following is a protozoan
A) Air disease?
B) Water
C) Food A) Typhoid
D) Exercise B) Malaria
C) AIDS
Answer: D) Exercise D) Tuberculosis

13. Antibiotics are effective against: Answer: B) Malaria

A) Viruses 18. The best method to control malaria is:

B) Bacteria
C) Worms A) Use of antibiotics
D) Fungi B) Use of antiviral drugs
C) Control mosquito population
Answer: B) Bacteria D) Vaccination

14. HIV is transmitted through: Answer: C) Control mosquito population

A) Air 19. Which disease is caused by a worm?

B) Mosquito bite

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A) Hepatitis Answer: B) Diabetes
B) Ascariasis
C) AIDS 24. Which is not a method of prevention
D) Cholera of infectious diseases?

Answer: B) Ascariasis A) Isolation

B) Immunization
20. Which of the following is a viral C) Surgery
disease? D) Public hygiene

A) Typhoid Answer: C) Surgery

B) Tuberculosis
C) Polio 25. Which of these diseases is sexually
D) Leprosy transmitted?

Answer: C) Polio A) Tuberculosis

B) Typhoid
21. Vaccines are used to: C) AIDS
D) Cholera
A) Kill viruses
B) Treat infections Answer: C) AIDS
C) Prevent diseases
D) Relieve pain 26. What is the mode of transmission of
cholera?
Answer: C) Prevent diseases
A) Air
22. The term 'acute disease' refers to a B) Contaminated water
disease that: C) Vector
D) Sexual contact
A) Lasts long
B) Causes permanent damage Answer: B) Contaminated water
C) Appears suddenly and lasts for a short
time 27. Measles is caused by a:
D) Spreads through air
A) Bacterium
Answer: C) Appears suddenly and lasts for B) Fungus
a short time C) Protozoan
D) Virus
23. Which one of the following is a
lifestyle disease? Answer: D) Virus

A) Typhoid 28. Which of the following diseases can be

B) Diabetes prevented through vaccination?
C) Cholera
D) Malaria A) Malaria
B) Tuberculosis

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C) Cancer
D) Diabetes

Answer: B) Tuberculosis

29. The term 'infectious disease' means:

A) A disease that is genetic

B) A disease caused by aging
C) A disease that can be spread from person
to person
D) A disease caused by malnutrition

Answer: C) A disease that can be spread

from person to person

30. Which of these helps in early recovery

from illness?

A) Physical rest and proper nourishment

B) Heavy exercise
C) Exposure to cold weather
D) Skipping meals

Answer: A) Physical rest and proper

nourishment

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One-mark questions

1. What is health?

Answer: Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely
the absence of disease.

2. Name one chronic disease.

Answer: Tuberculosis.

3. What are pathogens?

Answer: Pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, or

protozoa.

4. Give an example of a non-infectious disease.

Answer: Diabetes.

5. What is a vector?

Answer: A vector is an organism that spreads disease from one host to another, like the
female Anopheles mosquito in malaria.

6. Name one disease caused by a virus.

Answer: AIDS.

7. What is the mode of transmission of cholera?

Answer: Contaminated food and water.

8. What type of disease is malaria – acute or chronic?

Answer: Acute.

9. Name the pathogen that causes malaria.

Answer: Plasmodium.

10. Which organ is affected by tuberculosis?

Answer: Lungs.

11. What is an infectious disease?

Answer: A disease that can be transmitted from one person to another.

12. Name a bacterial disease.

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Answer: Typhoid.

13. Name the disease caused by HIV.

Answer: AIDS.

14. What is immunization?

Answer: Immunization is the process of making a person immune to a disease through

vaccination.

15. What is the full form of AIDS?

Answer: Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome.

16. Name one disease spread through sexual contact.

Answer: AIDS.

17. What is meant by symptoms of a disease?

Answer: Symptoms are signs that indicate the presence of a disease, like fever or cough.

18. Name a protozoan disease.

Answer: Malaria.

19. Which microorganism causes tuberculosis?

Answer: Bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis).

20. How can we prevent the spread of communicable diseases?

Answer: By maintaining personal and public hygiene and through immunization.

Two-mark questions

1. Differentiate between infectious and non-infectious diseases.

Answer:

 Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens and can spread from one person to
another (e.g., influenza).
 Non-infectious diseases are not caused by pathogens and do not spread between
individuals (e.g., hypertension).

2. Why are antibiotics not effective against viral infections?

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Answer:
Antibiotics target cellular structures found in bacteria, like cell walls. Viruses do not have
these structures and reproduce inside host cells, so antibiotics cannot affect them.

3. State any two factors that determine the health of an individual other than disease.

Answer:

1. Clean environment and sanitation.

2. Good nutrition and balanced diet.

4. Why is it important to complete the full course of antibiotics even if one feels better?

Answer:
Stopping antibiotics early may allow some bacteria to survive and develop resistance, making
future infections harder to treat.

5. What is the role of the immune system in our body?

Answer:
The immune system defends the body against disease-causing organisms by identifying and
destroying pathogens.

6. Mention two limitations of the "mere absence of disease" definition of health.

Answer:

1. It ignores mental and social well-being.

2. A person may not be physically ill but still be mentally or socially unwell.

7. How does public hygiene affect individual health?

Answer:
Poor public hygiene (e.g., open drains, garbage) increases exposure to pathogens, raising the
risk of disease for individuals in the community.

8. Explain how vaccination helps in preventing diseases.

Answer:
Vaccines introduce a weakened or inactive form of a pathogen, prompting the immune
system to produce memory cells, which provide protection in future exposures.

9. Name the causative organism and mode of transmission for dengue fever.

Answer:

 Causative organism: Dengue virus

 Mode of transmission: Bite of infected Aedes mosquito

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10. State two reasons why a person recovering from illness needs extra rest.

Answer:

1. To allow the body to repair damaged tissues.

2. To regain energy lost during the illness.

11. How do contaminated food and water lead to disease? Give two examples.

Answer:
Contaminated food/water carry pathogens into the body.
Examples:

 Cholera (bacterial)
 Hepatitis A (viral)

12. What is meant by disease symptoms? Give two examples.

Answer:
Symptoms are signs that indicate something is wrong in the body.
Examples: Fever, rashes.

13. What is meant by "organ-specific manifestation" in infectious diseases?

Answer:
It means that pathogens target specific organs, leading to symptoms based on the affected
organ.
Example: TB affects lungs; Hepatitis affects liver.

14. Explain how balanced diet and clean environment help maintain good health.

Answer:
A balanced diet provides necessary nutrients for body function and immunity. A clean
environment reduces exposure to pathogens and pollutants.

15. How do diseases affect our daily lives? Give two points.

Answer:

1. They reduce physical and mental efficiency.

2. They may cause social and emotional stress, and economic burden due to treatment
costs.

Four- to five-mark questions

1. Explain the differences between acute and chronic diseases with examples. What is
the effect of chronic disease on the health of an individual?

Answer:

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 Feature Acute Disease Chronic Disease
Duration Short term Long term (often life-long)
Onset Sudden Gradual
Effect on body Usually mild Often leads to long-term health impact
Examples Cold, malaria Diabetes, tuberculosis

Chronic diseases affect the overall health of a person by reducing efficiency, causing
weakness, and affecting physical and mental growth. They may lead to long-term damage to
organs.

2. How do infectious diseases spread? Describe four ways with suitable examples.

Answer:
Infectious diseases spread through:

1. Air: Sneezing/coughing releases droplets carrying pathogens.

Example: Tuberculosis.
2. Water: Contaminated water spreads disease when consumed.
Example: Cholera.
3. Vectors: Organisms like mosquitoes transmit pathogens.
Example: Malaria by Anopheles mosquito.
4. Direct contact: Physical contact with infected person.
Example: Fungal infections, AIDS.

These modes make public hygiene and precautions essential in disease control.

3. What is immunity? How does vaccination work to protect against disease?

Answer:
Immunity is the ability of the body to resist infection through defense mechanisms like white
blood cells and antibodies.

Vaccination involves introducing a weakened or inactive form of a pathogen into the body.
This stimulates the immune system to produce memory cells and antibodies without causing
the disease. Upon actual exposure, the immune system quickly fights off the pathogen.

4. Explain in detail how public health measures can prevent the spread of infectious
diseases. Give examples.

Answer:
Public health measures include:

1. Clean drinking water: Prevents waterborne diseases like cholera.

2. Proper sanitation and waste disposal: Reduces breeding of flies and mosquitoes.
3. Vector control: Use of insecticides and mosquito nets to control diseases like malaria
and dengue.
4. Vaccination programs: Prevent spread of diseases like measles, polio, TB.
5. Awareness campaigns: Educate people about hygiene and prevention.

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These steps break the chain of infection and protect the entire community.

5. Differentiate between infectious and non-infectious diseases with five points and
examples.

Answer:

Feature Infectious Disease Non-Infectious Disease

Genetic, lifestyle, nutritional, or environmental
Cause Pathogens (bacteria, virus)
factors
Spread Transmissible Not transmissible
Often treated with antimicrobial
Treatment May require long-term management
drugs
Hygiene, vaccination, vector
Prevention Healthy lifestyle, balanced diet
control
Examples Malaria, TB, AIDS Cancer, diabetes, hypertension

6. Describe the principle and importance of vaccination. Also name any three diseases
that can be prevented by vaccination.

Answer:
Principle of vaccination: It works by training the immune system to recognize and fight
pathogens by introducing a harmless version of the disease-causing organism.

Importance:

 Prevents the onset of many dangerous diseases.

 Reduces the spread of infectious diseases.
 Protects community through herd immunity.

Diseases prevented by vaccination:

1. Polio
2. Measles
3. Tuberculosis (BCG vaccine)

7. Explain the various causes of disease. Classify them into categories and give
examples.

Answer:
Causes of diseases:

1. Immediate causes:
o Biological agents like bacteria, viruses, protozoa.
o Example: Bacteria cause cholera.
2. Contributory (underlying) causes:
o Poor diet, lack of hygiene, poverty, genetic predisposition, environment.

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Categories:

 Infectious diseases: Caused by pathogens (e.g., TB, malaria).

 Non-infectious diseases: Caused by internal or environmental factors (e.g., diabetes,
cancer).

8. Why is it important to understand the organ or tissue affected by a disease? How

does this affect the symptoms and treatment?

Answer:
Understanding the affected organ helps:

 Diagnose the disease based on specific symptoms (e.g., cough in TB means lungs are
affected).
 Decide treatment: Medicines and therapy are organ-specific.
 Prevent complications: Early detection of organ damage can avoid serious issues.
 Predict outcomes: Chronic organ damage may lead to long-term disability.

Symptoms and severity vary depending on the organ affected, which also influences
recovery.

9. How do poor health and disease affect an individual’s economic condition? Give three
points.

Answer:

1. Loss of income: A sick person may not be able to work or attend school, leading to
financial strain.
2. Treatment cost: Medicines, doctor visits, and hospitalization can be expensive.
3. Long-term disability: Chronic illness can reduce the ability to earn and increase
dependency on others.

This creates a cycle of poverty and illness, especially in low-income families.

10. List five basic principles of prevention of diseases. Explain why prevention is better
than cure.

Answer:
Principles of prevention:

1. Public hygiene
2. Clean drinking water
3. Proper waste disposal
4. Immunization
5. Healthy lifestyle and nutrition

Why prevention is better than cure:

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  Prevents suffering and complications.
 Reduces economic burden of treatment.
 More effective in controlling infectious disease spread.
 Helps maintain community health.

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