Class 5 Science Question Answers - Food, Nutrition, Health and Diseases

Q1: What is the meaning of the word "disease"?
Ans: The word "disease" means "not at ease" or "uncomfortable." A disease is a condition that affects the normal functioning of the body or mind, causing discomfort or illness.

Q2: What are some classifications of diseases? 
Ans: Classifications of diseases include non-communicable diseases and communicable diseases.

Q3: What are non-communicable diseases?
Ans: Non-communicable diseases are those that do not pass from one person to another. Some non-communicable diseases are present at birth, while others occur due to a lack of nutrients in our bodies. Some are caused by pollution or harmful chemicals. Examples of non-communicable diseases include asthma, beriberi, goitre, kwashiorkor, and marasmus.

Q4: What are communicable diseases? What causes them?
Ans: Communicable diseases, also known as infectious diseases, are those that can be passed from an infected person to a healthy person. These diseases are caused by tiny germs called pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and worms.

Q5:What is malnutrition? 
Ans: A lack of proteins and carbohydrates in our body leads to malnutrition. When malnutrition is specifically due to insufficient proteins, it is referred to as Protein Calorie Malnutrition (PCM).

Q6: Explain the indirect mode of spreading communicable diseases.
Ans: Communicable diseases can also spread indirectly when a sick person coughs or sneezes, releasing germs into the air. Inhaling this air can make a healthy person sick. Germs can also spread through infected food, water, and even through insects and animals.

Q7: How can we prevent communicable diseases through good hygiene?
Ans: We can prevent communicable diseases by maintaining good hygiene. This includes washing our hands before and after eating, not allowing stagnant water near our homes, using mosquito nets or repellents, and keeping food covered to prevent flies from sitting on it.

Q8: How can we prevent the spread of germs from a sick person to a healthy person?
Ans: To prevent germ spread:
1. Isolate the Patient: Keep the sick person in a separate room.
2. Separate Items: Use separate utensils and disinfect them after use.
3. Clean the Sickroom: Spray disinfectant on the sickroom's floors and walls.
4. School Attendance: Sick children should stay home until fully recovered.

Q9: What is Haemorrhage? How can it be prevented? 
Ans: Haemorrhage is when a person loses a lot of blood, often from a small injury, because their blood doesn't clot well. It can be prevented by having foods rich in Vitamin K such as cabbage, cauliflower, wheat bran and cereals.

Q10: How can vaccination help prevent communicable diseases?
Ans: Vaccination is a way to prevent communicable diseases. It involves getting a vaccine that helps the body build immunity against certain diseases, making it less likely to get sick from those diseases.