Health and Disease

Health and Disease:

• Define health as a state of physical and mental wellbeing, not just an absence of disease or illness.
• Understand that diseases can be categorised into communicable (infectious) and non-communicable. Examples of communicable diseases include influenza and tuberculosis. Examples of non-communicable diseases include heart disease and diabetes.
• Appreciate that many factors can affect health, including diet, stress, and life situations. Recognise that these can often influence the likelihood of developing disease.
• Recognise the role of pathogens in causing disease. Pathogens can be viruses, bacteria, fungi, or protists.
• Know how pathogens are spread, including through the air, by direct contact, by water, or by vectors such as mosquitoes.
• Understand the body’s defensive systems against pathogens, including the skin, the immune system, and vaccinations.
• Examine the process of how the immune system defends the body, with white blood cells recognising pathogens, ingesting and destroying them, and creating antibodies to fight them.
• Have a good understanding of how vaccinations work, by injecting small amounts of dead or inactive pathogens to stimulate the body’s natural defences.
• Know about antibiotics and their use in treating bacterial infections. Recognise that antibiotics do not work against viral infections and that misuse can lead to antibiotic resistance.
• Comprehend how non-communicable diseases occur, their typical risk factors, and prevention methods. For instance, diabetes can be influenced by factors such as sugar intake and body weight.

Development of Medicine:

• Understand the early methods of prevention and treatment of disease, including herbal remedies and religious practises.
• Understand the use of the scientific method in developing treatments, and the importance of testing and trials to check efficacy and safety.
• Consider the role of vaccination in disease prevention and eradication. The example of Edward Jenner’s development of the smallpox vaccine is useful.
• Recognise the importance of antibiotics in modern medicine and the threat posed by antibiotic resistance.
• Appreciate the role of technology in healthcare, from advances in surgical techniques to the development of new diagnostic tools.
• Understand various factors influencing the global distribution of health resources, such as wealth and access to clean water and sanitation.
• Understand the use of genetic and stem cell research in medicine, including potential benefits and ethical considerations.

In the revision process, make sure to understand key concepts, review class notes, and practise answering exam-style questions to reinforce learnings.