#AP Environmental Science: Infectious Diseases, Pollution, and Respiration - The Night Before Review! 🚀

Hey there, future AP Environmental Science rockstar! Let's get you prepped and confident for tomorrow. This guide is designed to be your final, high-impact review, hitting all the key points you need to know. Let's dive in!

#1. Infectious Diseases: A Global Challenge 🌍

Infectious diseases are a major global health concern, especially in developing countries. Several factors contribute to their spread:

#1.1 Key Contributing Factors

• Malnutrition: Weakens the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to infections. 🍎
  • Example: Malnutrition increases vulnerability to measles.
• Poor Sanitation & Unclean Water: Facilitate the transmission of waterborne diseases. 💧
  • Example: Cholera spreads through contaminated water.
  • Example: Typhoid spreads due to lack of sanitation.
• Lack of Proper Medical Care: Hinders diagnosis and treatment, leading to disease persistence. 🏥
  • Example: Tuberculosis (TB) can be difficult to control without proper medical care.

#1.2 Drug-Resistant Pathogens: A Growing Threat 🦠

The overuse of antibiotics has led to the rise of drug-resistant pathogens, making treatment more difficult. Here are some examples:

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): Common in hospitals. 🏥
• Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB): Resistant to multiple TB drugs. 🫁
• Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE): Resistant to vancomycin. 💊
• Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE): Resistant to carbapenems. 🧪
• Antimicrobial-resistant gonorrhea: Becoming harder to treat. 🧬

#1.3 Climate Change and Disease 🌡️

Climate change significantly impacts disease transmission by altering environmental conditions:

• Vector-borne diseases: Warmer temperatures increase the range of mosquitoes and ticks. 🦟
  • Examples: Malaria, dengue fever, Lyme disease.
• Waterborne diseases: Flooding and water pollution increase the risk. 🌊
  • Examples: Cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A.
• Food-borne diseases: Extreme weather leads to crop failures and food shortages. 🧑‍🌾
• Heat-related illnesses: Increased heat events cause heat stroke and dehydration. 🥵
• Allergies and respiratory diseases: Increased allergens and pollutants in the air. 🤧

#1.4 Urbanization and Population Growth 🏙️

Urbanization and population growth contribute to disease spread through:

• Overcrowding: Facilitates the transmission of all types of diseases. 🏘️

• Poor Living Conditions: Lack of sanitation and hygiene. 🚽

• Increased Human-Vector Contact: Housing construction in wildlife areas. 🚧

• Contaminated Water Resources: Overuse and contamination. 🚰

• Air Pollution: Increased levels of pollutants and allergens. 💨

• Transportation: Facilitates the spread of diseases over long distances. ✈️

  High-Value Topic: Understanding the interplay of these factors is crucial for the exam. Expect questions that link multiple concepts.

#1.5 Specific Diseases

• Dysentery: An inflammatory disease of the intestine causing severe diarrhea with blood and mucus. 🩸
  • Caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
  • Spreads through contaminated food and water.
• Mesothelioma: A rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. 🦺
  • Asbestos fibers lodge in the lungs.
  • Can also be caused by silica dust and other carcinogens.

#2. Respiration: The Energy Engine 💨

Respiration is the process by which organisms obtain energy from food. It involves converting glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water. There are two main types:

#2.1 Types of Respiration

• Aerobic Respiration: Uses oxygen to produce energy in the mitochondria. Produces CO2 and H2O. 🌬️
• Anaerobic Respiration: Occurs without oxygen. Produces lactic acid or ethanol. 🏋️

#2.2 The Respiratory System

• Components: Nose, trachea, bronchi, and lungs. 👃
• Diaphragm: Muscle that helps draw air into the lungs. 🫁

#2.3 Respiratory Problems

• Hypoxia: Deficiency of oxygen in the body. 📉
• Hypercapnia: Excess of carbon dioxide in the blood. 📈
• Respiratory Diseases: Asthma, COPD, lung cancer. 🫁

#3. Tropospheric Ozone: A Harmful Pollutant ☀️

Tropospheric ozone is a harmful air pollutant found in the lower atmosphere. It's not the same as the protective ozone layer in the stratosphere.

#3.1 Formation

• Created by chemical reactions between pollutants (from vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight. 🏭🚗

#3.2 Effects

• Health Effects: Harmful to people with respiratory conditions. 🫁
• Environmental Effects: Damages crops and forests. 🌳

#3.3 Solutions

• Control Emissions: From industrial facilities, vehicles, and power plants. ⚙️
• Alternative Transportation: Public transit, biking, walking. 🚶‍♀️
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Promote sustainable practices. 🔆

#Final Exam Focus 🎯

Okay, time to zero in on what matters most for the exam:

• Infectious Diseases: Focus on the factors contributing to their spread (malnutrition, sanitation, etc.) and how climate change and urbanization play a role. Understand the concept of drug resistance.
• Respiration: Know the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration and be familiar with the components of the respiratory system.
• Tropospheric Ozone: Understand how it's formed and its impacts on health and the environment. Focus on solutions for reducing ozone pollution.

#Practice Questions

Practice Question

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is the MOST significant factor contributing to the spread of waterborne diseases in developing countries? (A) Overuse of antibiotics (B) Lack of access to clean water and sanitation (C) Climate change (D) Urbanization

2. The development of drug-resistant pathogens is primarily a result of: (A) Improved sanitation practices (B) Increased vaccination rates (C) Overuse of antibiotics (D) Climate change

3. Tropospheric ozone is classified as a: (A) Primary pollutant (B) Secondary pollutant (C) Greenhouse gas (D) Particulate matter

#Free Response Question

Question:

Climate change and urbanization are two major global trends. Discuss how each of these trends can contribute to the spread of infectious diseases. For each trend, provide two specific examples of diseases that may be exacerbated and explain the mechanisms through which the trend affects disease transmission.

Scoring Breakdown:

• Climate Change (4 points):
  • (1 point) Identification of climate change as a trend contributing to disease spread.
  • (1 point) Example of a disease exacerbated by climate change (e.g., malaria, dengue fever).
  • (1 point) Explanation of how climate change affects the transmission of the chosen disease (e.g., increased mosquito range).
  • (1 point) Another example of a disease exacerbated by climate change (e.g., cholera) and explanation of transmission mechanism (e.g., flooding and water contamination).
• Urbanization (4 points):
  • (1 point) Identification of urbanization as a trend contributing to disease spread.
  • (1 point) Example of a disease exacerbated by urbanization (e.g., tuberculosis).
  • (1 point) Explanation of how urbanization affects the transmission of the chosen disease (e.g., overcrowding and poor ventilation).
  • (1 point) Another example of a disease exacerbated by urbanization (e.g., dengue fever) and explanation of transmission mechanism (e.g., increased human-vector contact).

Answer Key:

1. (B)
2. (C)
3. (B)

You've got this! Take a deep breath, trust your preparation, and go ace that exam! 🌟