UNIT-3: Biology and Human Welfare

Chapter-1:- Health & Disease

Health:-

• Health is not only absence of disease.
• WHO has defined health a state of complete physical, mental and social well being.

Disease

• Disease can be defined as, "a Condition of the body or its parts in which the functions are disturbed or deranged."
• OR
• When one or more organs are not functioning properly.

Pathogens

• Pathogen is an organism which is capable of producing a disease
• OR
• A pathogen is an infectious agent that causes a disease or illness to its host.
• Typically, that term pathogen is used to describe, infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, prion and parasite of various forms.
• Major classes of pathogens are described below:-
• Vruses- Adenovirus, picorna virus, ret

• Majority of the world’s population is suffering from the deficiency of proteins, vitamins and essential minerals.
• Goiter due to iodine deficiency, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency and anemia due to iron and folate deficiency remain major health problems in India.
• Through several food supplements are available to compensate the nutritional deficiencies, but new approaches are needed, especially to reach the poor.
• There is a need for multiple complementary strategies to address micronutrients deficiencies.

What is biofortification?

• Biofortification is the method for developing crops with higher level of vitamins, minerals, proteins and healthier fats to improve public health.
• It is the idea of breeding crops to increase their nutritional value.
• This can be done either through conventional breeding or through genetic engineering.
• The objectives of biofortification