BEEZYREVISOR

GCSE Biology Revision

Learn it. Recall it. Revise it.

GCSE Biology revision

Protist diseases

Communicable diseases

AQA 4.1.1.1
Your specification

AQA student objectives

Learning pathway

All · Most · Some

ALL 🎯

Identify and describe What Are Protists?, The Cause of Malaria and How Malaria is Transmitted in the context of protist diseases.

MOST 🎯🎯

Explain the relationships between What Are Protists?, The Cause of Malaria and How Malaria is Transmitted and how they contribute to protist diseases.

SOME 🎯🎯🎯

Apply and analyse knowledge of What Are Protists?, The Cause of Malaria and How Malaria is Transmitted to interpret unfamiliar information about protist diseases.

Revision summary

Key knowledge

Read on screen, then print for Cornell-style active revision.

What Are Protists?

  • Protists are a group of microorganisms that are eukaryotic, meaning they have a nucleus, which distinguishes them from prokaryotes.
  • Protists are one of four types of microorganisms that can cause communicable diseases, alongside viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

The Cause of Malaria

  • Malaria is a communicable disease caused by the Plasmodium protist.
  • Plasmodium is the pathogen responsible for infecting the human body and causing the symptoms associated with malaria.

How Malaria is Transmitted

  • Malaria is spread via the mosquito, which acts as a vector — meaning it carries and transmits the Plasmodium protist from one person to another.
  • An infected mosquito carrying Plasmodium spores bites a person and transfers the spores directly into their bloodstream.
  • The Plasmodium spores travel through the blood to the liver and then infect red blood cells.
  • Crucially, the mosquito itself does not contract malaria — it is simply the means of transmission between infected and uninfected individuals.

Symptoms of Malaria

  • Common symptoms of malaria include fever, chills, and sweats.
  • Additional symptoms include headaches, diarrhoea, and vomiting.

Preventing Malaria: Vector Control

  • Since mosquitoes are the vector for malaria, controlling the mosquito population is a key method of reducing the spread of the disease.
  • Physical barriers such as mosquito nets help prevent mosquitoes from biting people, thereby reducing transmission.
  • Insect repellent is another method used to prevent mosquito bites and reduce the risk of infection.

Preventing Malaria: Medical Measures

  • People travelling to high-risk areas, such as parts of Africa and Asia, are often advised to take antimalarial tablets as a preventative measure.
  • It is important to note that, as of the current GCSE specification, there is no widely available vaccine for malaria.

Exam Tips for Malaria Questions

  • Be prepared to recall the symptoms of malaria (fever, chills, sweats, headaches, diarrhoea, vomiting) for short one- or two-mark questions.
  • If asked how to prevent malaria, think logically: malaria is spread by mosquitoes, so methods of control focus on reducing mosquito contact, such as nets and repellent.
  • Remember the key term vector — the mosquito is the vector because it transmits the Plasmodium protist between hosts without being infected itself.