Important Questions for Class 12

Biology

Chapter 8 - Human Health and Disease

Very Short Answer Questions 1 Mark

1. Name the diagnostic test which confirms typhoid.

Ans: The diagnostic test which confirms typhoid is the Widal test.

2. Name the two major groups of cells required to attain specific immunity.
Ans: B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes are the two major groups of cells
required to attain specific immunity.

3. You have heard of many incidents of Chikungunya in our country. Name

the vector of the disease.
Ans: Aedes mosquitoes are the name of the vector that causes Chikungunya
disease.

4. Breast-fed babies are more immune to diseases than the bottle-fed babies.
Why?
Ans: Breastfed babies are more immune to diseases than bottle-fed babies
because the mothers milk consists of antibodies (Ig A) which are not available in
the case of bottle-fed babies.

5. Name the pathogen which causes malignant malaria.

Ans: The pathogen which causes malignant malaria is Plasmodium falciparum.

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6. Which microorganism is used to produce the hepatitis B Vaccine?
Ans: Yeast is the microorganism that is helpful in the production of the vaccine
of hepatitis B.

7. What is the reason for shivering in the malarial patients?

Ans: The reason for shivering in malarial patients is the release of toxic substance
hemozoin when RBC ruptures, after sporozoite infection, and causes chilling and
high fever.

8. When is a tumour referred to as malignant?

Ans: A tumor is referred to as malignant when it starts to grow rapidly and then
invades and damages the surrounding of the normal tissues.

9. Why does an AIDS patient suffer from many infections?

Ans: AIDS patients suffer from many infections because, in AIDS patients, the
immune system weakens greatly and is unable to fight against any infection.

10. Name two curable sexually transmitted diseases?

Ans: The two curable sexually transmitted diseases are Gonorrhoea & Syphilis.

11. Name the type of cells that produce antibodies?

Ans: B – lymphocytes are the type of cells that produce antibodies.

12. Give the scientific name of the causative germ of elephantiasis?

Ans: The scientific name of the causative germ of elephantiasis is Wuchereria
bancrofti.

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13. Name the fish that help in the eradication of mosquito larvae.
Ans: Gambusia is the fish that helps in the eradication of mosquito larvae.

Short Answer Questions 2 Marks

1. Where are B-cells and T-cells formed? How do they differ from each
other?
Ans: B-cells and T-cells are the lymphocytes that are formed in the bone marrow.
The function of B-cells is to produce antibodies while the T-cells do not produce
antibodies instead they help B-cells in producing antibodies.

2. Given below are the pathogens and the diseases caused by them. Which
out of these pairs is not the correct matching pair and why?
(a) Wuchereria Filariasis
(b) Microsporum Ringworm
(c) Salmonella Common Cold
(d) Plasmodium Malaria
Ans: Salmonella: Common cold is not a matching pair because the common cold
is a viral disease that is caused by a virus while Salmonella is a bacterium that
causes bacterial disease in the intestinal tract of the body.

3. What would happen to the immune system, if the thymus gland is removed
from the body of a person?
Ans: The thymus gland is responsible for the production and maturation of T-
lymphocytes. If the thymus gland is removed from the body of a person, then the
immune system of the person will become weak.

4. Lymph nodes are secondary lymphoid orgAns: Describe the role of lymph
nodes in our immune response.

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Ans: The role of lymph nodes in our immune response is to act as the site where
the lymphocytes and the antigen interact with each other. The immune system of
the person gets responsive when the microorganisms enter the lymph nodes
resulting in the activation of the lymphocytes present there.

5. What is the role of histamine in inflammatory response? Name few drugs

which reduce the symptoms of allergy.
Ans: Histamine is released by mast cells and they act as an allergy-mediator
which causes the dilation of the blood vessels. The drugs which reduce the
symptoms of allergy are Antihistamine steroids and adrenaline.

6. Differentiate between two different types of tumors?

Ans: The difference between two different types of tumors is:

BENIGN TUMOUR MALIGNANT TUMOUR

The tumor remains confined to the Tumors invade surrounding tissue &
place of origin or affected organ. spread throughout the body.
It is harmless. It is harmful.
The rate of growth of tumors is low. The rate of growth of tumors is rapid.
Causes limited damage. Cause uncontrolled damage.

7. What do you mean by withdrawal Symptoms? What are its

characteristics?
Ans: Withdrawal symptoms are observed in the case of a drug addict where the
body of a person shows characteristic unpleasant symptoms if they suddenly do
not get the regular dose of the drug. The characteristic symptoms include anxiety,
sweating, shakiness, depression, restlessness, muscular cramps, etc.

8. Differentiate between active & passive immunity?

Ans: The difference between active & passive immunity are:

ACTIVE IMMUNITY PASSIVE IMMUNITY

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 It is the development of immunity by It is the development of immunity by
the production of antibodies with the production of antibodies with
respect to antigens by one’s own body. respect to the infections of antigens in
other vertebrates.
Development of immunity takes a lot Development of immunity takes less
of time. time and the response is faster.
Immunity remains for a longer period. Immunity remains for a short period.

9. Enumerate the two properties of cancer cells that distinguish them from
normal cells.
Ans: The two properties of cancer cells that distinguish them from the normal
cells are:
i) The cells undergo uncontrolled proliferation without any differentiation.
ii) The cells have the ability to invade other tissues which are called metastasis.

10. What are allergens? How do they cause inflammatory responses inside
the human body?
Ans: The allergens are the substances that cause the hypersensitive reaction of
the immune system such as dust, pollen grains, etc. When the person is exposed
to an allergen for the first time then no allergy is caused but if they get exposed
to allergens frequently then the allergen combines with Ig E on the mast cell
resulting in the bursting of the cells and release of Histamines which leads to the
inflammatory response. Thus, allergens are said to be weak antigens.

11. What are autoimmune diseases? Give two examples?

Ans: Autoimmune diseases are those in which the immune system of the body
gets disturbed and starts to attack the healthy cells. Immunity is the process of the
response generated to separate cells that come from outside called foreign
organisms and self-cells. Sometimes the immune system may go off the track &
turn against self-antigen and elicit immunity. Examples of autoimmune diseases
are Rheumatoid arthritis and Myasthenia gravis.

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Short Answer Questions 3 Marks

1. What are Cannabinoids? From which plant Cannabinoids are obtained?

Which part of the body is affected by consuming these substances?
Ans: Cannabinoids are a group of naturally occurring chemicals present in
Cannabis and interact with Cannabinoid receptors present there.
 Cannabinoids are obtained from the plant Cannabis sativa mainly from their
inflorescence.
 The part of the body which is affected adversely by consuming these
substances is the cardiovascular system.

2. In the figure, the structure of an antibody molecule is shown. Observe it

and give the answer to the following questions.

(i) Label the parts A, B, and C.

Ans: A - Antigen binding site, B - Light chain, C- Heavy chain.

(ii) Which cells produce these chemicals?

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Ans: B – lymphocytes are the cells that produce these chemicals.

(iii) State the function of these molecules

Ans: The function of antibodies is to provide an acquired immune response to the
body.

3. Mention any three causes of drug abuse. Suggest some measures for the
prevention and control of drug abuse.
Ans: Reasons to attract towards and cause drug abuse: Curiosity, escape from
frustration and failure, peer pressure, false belief of enhanced performance,
family problems.
Preventive measures:
- Avoid undue peer pressure
- Education and Counselling
- Seeking help from parents and peers.
- Looking for danger signs
- Seeking professional and medical help

4. A person shows unwelcome immunogenic reactions while exposed to

certain substances.
(a) Name this condition.
Ans: When a person shows unwelcome immunogenic reactions while exposed to
certain substances is called allergy.

(b) What common term is given to the substances responsible for this
condition?
Ans: Allergens are the common term that is given to the substances responsible
for the allergy.

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(c) Name the cells and the chemical substances released which cause such
reactions.
Ans: Mast Cells are the cells while Histamine and Serotonin are the chemical
substances released which cause such reactions.

5. Fill in the blanks in the different columns of the table given below to
identify the no’s 1 to 6.

Name of disease Causative organism Symptoms

Pneumonia Streptococcus (1)
Typhoid (2) High fever, weakness,
headache, stomach pain.
(3) Rhinoviruses Nasal Congestion, and
discharge sore throat cough,
headache
Ascariasis Ascaris (4)
Ringworm (5) Dry, Scaly lesions on various
body parts, Intense itching,
redness.
(6) Entamoeba histolytica Constipation, cramps,
abdominal pain, Stools with
excess mucous and blood
clots.

Ans: The fill-in blanks in the different columns of the table given below to
identify the no’s 1 to 6 are:
(i) Alveoli filled with fluid, reduced breathing, fever, chills, cough, and
headache.
(ii) Salmonella typhi
(iii) Common Cold
(iv) Internal bleeding, muscular pain, anemia, fever, and blockage of the
intestinal passage.
(v) Microsporum species/Trichophyton species/Epidermophyton Species.
(vi) Amoebiasis/amoebic dysentery

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6. In the given flow diagram, the replication of retrovirus in a host cell is
shown.
Examine it and answer the following questions:

(a) Why is a virus called retrovirus?

Ans: A virus is called retrovirus because it consists of RNA as genetic material
and undergoes reverse transcription to produce DNA as in the case of HIV.

(b) Fill in (1) and (2)

Ans: 1: The enzyme reverse transcriptase is responsible for the production of
Viral DNA.
2: The infected cell results in the formation of new viral RNA.

(c) Can infected cells survive while viruses are being replicated and
released by the host cells?
Ans: Yes, the infected cell can survive while viruses are being replicated and
released by the host cell.

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7. What is innate immunity? List the four types of barriers that protect the
body from the entry of foreign agents.
Ans: The immunity which is resent at the time of birth and shows a non-specific
type of defence is called Innate Immunity.
The four types of barriers that protect the body from the entry of foreign agents
are:
(i) Physical Barriers: Skin, digestive and urinogenital tract, mucous-coated
epithelium, or respiratory.
(ii) Physiological Barriers: Acidity of Stomach, tears, sweat, lysozyme in saliva.
(iii) Cellular Barrier: Macrophages, monocytes neutrophils, and natural killer
lymphocytes.
(iv) Cytokine Barriers: Interferons produced by Virally infected cells, protect the
non-infected cells from further Viral infection.

8. How does the humoral immune system works when our body is infected?
Ans: The immunity in which antibodies are developed for attacking the microbes
is called the Humoral immune response. The receptors are present on the surface
of each B-cell that recognize a specific antigen. When the B-cell is exposed to
antigens then it will result in triggering of B-cells to proliferate further thus
leading to the formation of a large clone cell which continuous stimulation and
then result in the increase in the number of B-lymphocytes which then
differentiates into plasma cells that are smaller antibody-producing cells.
Antibodies that are produced by each clone of plasma cells will react with their
antigenic determinant and leads to the stimulation of the initial proliferation. The
phagocytic cells digest the antigen-antibody complex which is formed when the
antibody binds to the antigen. When plasma cells are exposed to the same antigen
later then some of these plasma cells develop into memory cells.

9. It was diagnosed by a specialist that the Immune System of the body of a

patient has been suppressed. Describe the infection & the mechanism of its
proliferation in the body.

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Ans: If the immune system of the patient has been suppressed then he is found to
be suffering from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The HIV virus
enters into the helper T- cells & undergoes replication to produce progeny viruses.
The replication of virus involves: -
(i) First viral capsid enters the cell where the reverse transcriptase enzyme will
copy single-stranded RNA and convert it into complementary DNA.
(ii) The ribonuclease H degrades the RNA & the DNA strand becomes double-
stranded DNA after its duplication.
(iii) Integrase enzyme is responsible for a complex sequence of reactions in
which the Proviral DNA is integrated into cells’ DNA.
(iv) Virus becomes active once it has infected the cell resulting in the liberation
of a large number of virus particles that can infect other cells.

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10. What are carcinogens? What are the different types of carcinogens? Also,
mention the different methods of treatment of cancer?
Ans: Carcinogens are the substances that cause cancer. These substances may be
chemical or physical things like: -
1. Smoking
2. Tobacco chewing
3. Radiations e.g., UV- x-ray, cosmic rays.
4. Chemical e.g., mustard gas, aflatoxin, cadmium oxide
5. Biological agents e.g., retroviruses
6. Cellular agents proto-oncogenes which when activated under certain
conditions may lead to oncogenic transformation of cells.
Treatment of cancer involves: -
1. SURGERY: surgical removal of the tumor.
2. CHEMOTHERAPY: treatment with drugs that can destroy cancer cells.
3. IMMUNOTHERAPY: interleukin, use of interferons, vaccines to generate
non-specific defense mechanism.
4. RADIATION THERAPY: - It involves the radiotherapy or the x-ray therapy
which is used to kill the cancer cells by introducing the ionizing radiations.
5. HORMONAL SUPPRESSION: providing or blocking certain hormones.

11. Describe the ill – effects of drug abuse in males & females. Also, mention
the preventive measures that are to be taken to reduce such effects.
Ans: The ill-effects of drug abuse in males & females are:
1) ILL – EFFECTS IN MALES: - increased aggressiveness, acne, decreased
sperm production, mood swing depression reduction of the size of testicles,
premature baldness, kidney & liver dysfunction.
2) ILL – EFFECTS IN FEMALES: - increased aggressiveness, masculinization,
mood swings, excessive hair growth on face & body, depression abnormal
menstrual cycle & deepening of the voice.
The preventive measures that are to be taken to reduce such effects are: -
1. EDUCATION & COUNSELLING: - to accept failure as part of life, to face
problems or stress & to channel child’s energy to some health-promoting
activities.

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2. AVOID UNDUE PEER PRESSURE: - to pressurize a child to perform beyond
his capabilities.
3. SEEKING HELP FROM PARENTS & PEERS: - to share the feeling of
anxiety & guilty.
4. SEEKING PROFESSIONAL FOR MEDICAL HELP: - help available in the
form of a highly qualified psychiatrist, psychologist, etc.

12. What is vaccination? What type of immunity is provided by vaccination?

Ans: The process of development of immunity with the help of vaccines taken in
the body is called vaccination, here to produce immunity against a particular
pathogen a weakened pathogen is injected into the body that results in the
production of antibodies. The antibodies that are produced against these antigens
would result in the neutralization of the pathogenic agent. The vaccine will startle
the pathogen by producing a large number of antibodies and will also generate
memory B – and T – cells that help in recognizing the pathogen quickly when
they are exposed to them.
The type of immunity is Active immunity.
However, we need to directly inject the immunity to a patient’s body if a person
is infected with some deadly microbe to which a quick immune response is
required, this type of immunization is called Passive immunization.

13.
(i) Differentiate between communicable & non – communicable diseases?
Ans: The difference between communicable & non – communicable diseases are:
Communicable diseases Non – communicable diseases
Communicable diseases are caused Non – communicable diseases are
by biological agents & can spread caused by several factors and do not
from one person to another or one spread from one person to another.
place to another through the air, It remains inside one person only.
water, physical contact, etc.

(ii) Name the body part & the host in which the following events take place
in the life cycle of plasmodium.

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(a) fertilization
Ans: fertilization in the life cycle of plasmodium takes place in the gut of female
anopheles.

(b) Development of Gametophyte: -

Ans: Development of Gametophyte in the life cycle of plasmodium takes place
in RBCs of Human beings.

(c) Release of sporozoites: -

Ans: Salivary gland of female anopheles release of sporozoites.

(d) Asexual Reproduction.

Ans: Asexual Reproduction takes place in the liver cells of human beings.

Long Answer Questions 5 Marks

1. Answer the following with respect to Caner.

(a) How does a cancerous cell differ from a normal cell?
Ans: The growth and differentiation in normal cells are highly controlled and
regulated (contact = inhibition) while in the case of cancerous cells they continue
to divide giving rise to masses of cells (tumors) and have lost the property of
contact inhibition.

(b) Benign tumor is less dangerous than a malignant tumor. Why?

Ans: Benign tumor is less dangerous than malignant tumor because the benign
tumor will be confined to only the affected organ and is enclosed in a connective
tissue sheath and does not enter the metastatic stage.

(c) Describe the causes of cancer.

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Ans: Cancer may be caused due to various carcinogens that include chemicals
(Nicotine, Aflatoxin, Cadmium oxide, Asbestos), physical (radiations), and
biological (viral oncogene).

(d) mention two methods of treatment of the disease.

Ans: The methods of treatment of the disease are surgery, radiotherapy,
chemotherapy.

2. The pathogen of a disease depends on the RBCs of humans for growth and
reproduction. The person with this pathogen suffers from the chill and high
fever.
(a) Name the disease.
Ans: Malaria is a disease where the pathogen of a disease depends on the RBCs
of humans for growth and reproduction.

(b) Name the different species of Plasmodium.

Ans: The different species of Plasmodium are Plasmodium. vivax, P. Malariae
and P. falciparum.

(c) How malaria is caused?

Ans: Malaria is caused by the release of toxins (hemozoin) which is produced by
the malarial parasite in the human body by the rupturing of RBCs in the blood.

(d) Represent the life cycle of the pathogen diagrammatically.

Ans: Life cycle of Plasmodium:

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3. The immune system of a person is suppressed. He was found positive for
a pathogen in the diagnostic test ELISA.
(a) Name the disease, the patient is suffering from.
Ans: When the immune system of a person is suppressed then the person is found
to be suffering from AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome).

(b) Which pathogen is identified by the ELISA test?

Ans: HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) pathogen is identified by ELISA
test.

(c) Which cells of the body are attacked by the pathogen?

Ans: Helper T-cells, macrophages, B-lymphocytes are cells of the body that are
attacked by the pathogen.

(d) Suggest preventive measures of the infection.

Ans: Preventive measures of the infection are:
(a) People must be made aware of the transmission and causes of AIDS.

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(b) The needles, syringes, and other surgical instruments used must be easily
disposable.
(c) The intercourse between multiple partners needs to be avoided.
(d) After the donation of blood from various people it must be tested to avoid any
transfer of diseases.
(e) The routine checkup must be ensured by all.

4. Discuss the role of lymphoid organs in the immune response. Explain the
different types of lymphoid organs giving two examples of each type in
humAns:
Ans: The role of lymphoid organs in the immune response is the origin,
maturation & proliferation of lymphocytes. These lymphoid organs are of two
types: -
1. PRIMARY LYMPHOID ORGAN: - they are sensitive lymphocytes in which
the immature lymphocytes differentiate into antigens. It consists of: -

(a) BONE MARROW: – It is the main lymphoid organ where all types of blood
cells including lymphocytes are formed and are present in the thigh region.
It helps in the development & maturation of B – cells by providing a micro-
environment.
(b) THYMUS: - It is located beneath the chest bone near the heart. It helps in
the development & maturation of T – lymphocytes by providing a
microenvironment.

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2. SECONDARY LYMPHOID ORGAN: - They help the lymphocytes to interact
with the antigen which results in the proliferation leading to the formation of
effector cells. It includes.
(a) SPLEEN: - It is a large bean-shaped organ that consists of lymphocytes &
phagocytes. It is called the graveyard of RBCs and thus acts as a filter of
blood by trapping blood–bound microorganisms.
(b) LYMPH NODE: - They are small – solid structures and are the part of the
lymphatic systems that are located at different points. Its main role is to trap
the antigens that try to enter into lymph & tissue fluid. These antigens will
result in the activation of lymphocytes.

5. With the help of a well–labeled diagram, Describe the life cycle of malarial
parasite.
Ans: Malaria is a protozoan disease caused by plasmodium vivax. It has two hosts
– female anopheles which acts as the vector of plasmodium and man that acts as
the primary host where the parasite maintains an amoeboid stage in RBCS & later
produces gametophyte.
Life cycle of plasmodium involves the following steps: -

 In humans malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax,

Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium knowlesi.

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 Malaria parasite life cycle in humans is of four-phase- pre-erythrocytic
schizogony phase, erythrocytic schizogony phase, gametogenic phase, and
exoerythrocytic schizogony phase.
 Sporozoites of malaria are present in the salivary gland of mosquitoes and
transmitted to humans by mosquito bites where sporozoites are introduced into
the blood.
 In the liver of humans the malarial sporozoites undergo their phase of
development that involves the multiple nuclear divisions resulting in the
development of schizont that consists of numerous merozoites.
 Numerous merozoites are released and enter red blood cells by the receptor for
merozoites in the glycoprotein.
 Malaria disease’s first onset appears after the incubation period of 9-14 days,
where patients may not appear to be ill.
 There are certain common symptoms found in a person when they are infected
by the malarial parasite that appears after 10-15 days of infection. These
symptoms are- fever, headache, chills, and vomiting.

6. What do you mean by “Outbreeding”. What are the different methods

employed for outbreeding?
Ans: Outbreeding is the process where the breeding between unrelated male &
female animals takes place. It can be done in the following ways: -
1. OUT CROSS: - The outcross is the process of the mating of animals that are
of the same breed but for 4-6 generations of their pedigree, they do not have
any common ancestor. For those animals that have a below-average in the
growth rate of beef cattle, milk production, etc, it is the best method of breeding
animals.
2. CROSS–BREEDING: - The breeding between the superior males of one breed
& Superior females of another breed is called cross-breeding. By this breeding
technique, the desirable qualities of two different breeds can be combined
which is then used for the purpose of commercial production. E.g., the breeding
of Bikaneri ewes and Marino rams will result in the formation of a new breed
of sheep called Hisardale.
3. INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDISATION: - It is the cross where the breeding
occurs in between the male & female animals of two different related species,

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 resulting in the progeny which is a combination of desirable features of both
parents e.g., the mule is produced by the cross between donkey & a female
horse.

7. What is somatic hybridization – Explain the steps involved in the

production of somatic hybrids?
Ans: The process of fusion of two protoplasts from the somatic cells of two
different varieties or species of a plant under sterile on a suitable nutrient culture
medium condition is called Somatic hybridization. For example, topato which is
produced by fusion of protoplast of tomato & potato is a somatic hybrid.
The steps involved in the production of somatic hybrids are: -
1. First the protoplasts from two different varieties of plants are isolated that are
having a desirable character.
2. The cytoplasm of two protoplasts then undergoes fusion resulting in the mixing
of cytoplasm. In this fusion, even after fusion of cytoplasm the nuclei of two
protoplasts may or may not fuse together. The fusion here requires a suitable
agent called fusogene, PEG, or polyethylene glycol.
3. The hybrid protoplast produced will then synthesize a new cell wall around it
under favorable conditions. This hybrid cell will act as a single cell & later
undergo division that results in the formation of callus.
4. The callus which is regenerated is then transferred to a new culture plate that
contains the suitable culture media. In this culture media, the callus divides and
then results in the formation of roots and shoots by the process of
organogenesis.

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