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NSWBiologyQuick questions
Module 8: Non-infectious Disease and Disorders
Quick questions on Causes of non-infectious disease: HSC Biology Module 8
14short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is genetic diseases?Show answer
Caused by mutations in DNA. The mutation may be inherited from parents or arise de novo in a gamete or early embryo.
What is environmental diseases?Show answer
Caused by exposure to physical, chemical or biological agents.
What is nutritional diseases?Show answer
Caused by deficiency or excess of nutrients.
What is lifestyle diseases?Show answer
Caused by behavioural risk factors, often overlapping with nutritional and environmental categories.
What is age-related (degenerative) diseases?Show answer
Caused by cumulative cellular damage and reduced tissue repair with age.
What is cancer as a cross-cutting category?Show answer
Cancer is uncontrolled cell division caused by accumulated mutations in genes regulating the cell cycle (oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes such as TP53). It can be:
What is effects on the individual and society?Show answer
Individual effects. Pain, disability, reduced life expectancy, psychological impact, loss of income.
What is individual effects?Show answer
Pain, disability, reduced life expectancy, psychological impact, loss of income.
What is societal effects?Show answer
Health-care costs (non-infectious disease accounts for over 70 percent of Australia's disease burden), workforce productivity losses, demand for aged care and chronic disease services. Non-infectious disease now causes more deaths globally than infectious disease in every region except sub-Saharan Africa.
What is classification?Show answer
Multifactorial non-infectious disease combining genetic and lifestyle factors.
What is saying "diet causes diabetes" without specifying type?Show answer
Type 1 is autoimmune and not lifestyle-related. Type 2 is the lifestyle-linked form.
What is confusing cause and risk factor?Show answer
A risk factor (e.g. obesity) increases the probability of disease but does not deterministically cause it. A cause (e.g.
What is forgetting that non-infectious does not mean non-transmissible risk?Show answer
Some non-infectious cancers have infectious triggers (HPV, hepatitis B); markers want you to recognise the nuance.
What is generic answers without named examples?Show answer
"Genetic disease" scores no marks. "Cystic fibrosis, caused by a CFTR mutation on chromosome 7" scores.