state the name and type of pathogen that causes each of the following diseases: cholera – caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, malaria – caused by the protoctists Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium vivax,

Published by Patrick Mutisya · 8 days ago

Cambridge A-Level Biology 9700 – Infectious Diseases

Infectious Diseases

In this section we list the major diseases required for the Cambridge A‑Level Biology (9700) syllabus and identify the specific pathogen responsible for each, together with its biological classification.

Pathogens causing selected diseases

DiseasePathogen namePathogen type
CholeraVibrio choleraeBacterium
MalariaPlasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium vivaxProtoctist (apicomplexan parasite)
Tuberculosis (TB)Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovisBacterium
HIV/AIDSHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV)Virus (retrovirus)

These pathogens differ markedly in their cellular structure, replication strategies and modes of transmission, which are important concepts for understanding disease control and treatment.

Suggested diagram: Life cycles of the malaria parasite and the HI \cdot virus.