Diseases & Immunity (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Biology): Exam Questions

The human body has a number of barriers to prevent infection by pathogens some of which are listed below.

1. Skin

2. Mucus

3. Hairs in the nose

4. Antibodies

5. Stomach acid

Which of these are examples of mechanical barriers?

Which of the following diseases listed below are not caused by infectious pathogens?

1. Coronary Heart Disease

2. Cholera

3. AIDS

4. Scurvy

Which of the following diseases can be transmitted by contact with contaminated surfaces?

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When a tissue is transplanted from a female donor to a male recipient, it may be rejected.

What is the main cause of this rejection?

Which of the following is an effect of a cholera infection?

1. Loss of salts from the blood

2. Loss of water from the blood

3. Blockage of the small intestine

4. Persistent diarrhoea

The diagram with the structure labelled X shows a bacterium with proteins on its surface. The diagram labelled Y shows proteins made by the human body

Which row shows the correct combination for destroying the bacterium?

Statements 1 to 4 describe stages in the development of cholera.

1. Chloride ions are secreted into the gut.

2. Osmosis causes water to move into the gut.

3. The infected person becomes dehydrated.

4. Toxins are produced by the pathogenic bacteria.

What is the correct sequence of the four stages?

The photomicrograph shows human blood. 

Which blood component makes antibodies?  

A child is vaccinated against measles. After a period of time the child is infected with the measles virus.

The graph shows the concentration of measles antibodies in the child’s bloodstream during this time.

Which statement is consistent with the information in the graph?

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Components of the blood from a mammal are shown in the diagram below.

In which component would you expect to find the remains of the breakdown of bacterial cells.

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There are numerous ways in which a person can acquire antibodies, giving immunity to a disease. Some of these are:

1. Vaccination

2. Infection by disease

3. A baby feeding on breast milk

Which of the options would give a person active immunity?

Which row in the table below correctly describes the attributes of passive immunity?

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What happens when a person is vaccinated against measles?

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Passive and active immunity have which of the following features in common?

1. They are always long-term.

2. They always involve the activity of memory cells.

3. They involve antibodies.

4. They can be acquired by vaccination.