INTRODUCTION
Activity 13.1:
* We have all heard of the earthquakes in Latur, Bhuj, Kashmir etc. or the cyclones that lashed the coastal regions. Think of as many different ways as possible in which people’s health would be affected by such a disaster if it took place in our neighbourhood.
* How many of these ways we can think of are events that would occur when the disaster is actually happening?
* How many of these health-related events would happen long after the actual disaster, but would still be because of the disaster?
* Why would one effect on health fall into the first group, and why would another fall into the second group?
When we do this exercise, we realise that health and disease in human communities are very complex issues, with many interconnected causes. We also realise that the ideas of what ‘health’ and ‘disease’ mean are themselves very complicated. When we ask what causes diseases and how we prevent them, we have to begin by asking what these notions mean.
We have seen that cells are the basic units of organisms. Cells are made of a variety of chemical substances–proteins, carbohydrates, fats or lipids, and so on. Cell is a dynamic place. Something or the other is always happening inside them. Complex reactions and repair goes on inside cells. New cells are being made. In our organs or tissues, there are various specialised activities going on– the heart is beating, the lungs are breathing, the kidney is filtering urine, the brain is thinking.
All these activities are interconnected. For example, if the kidneys are not filtering urine, poisonous substances will accumulate. Under such conditions, the brain will not be able to think properly. For all these interconnected activities, energy and raw material are needed. Food is a necessity for cell and tissue functions. Anything that prevents proper functioning of cells and tissues will lead to a lack of proper activity of the body.
It is in this context that we will look at the notions of health and disease.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK