Paper IPaper I · General Science
Nutrition, Diseases and Health
Nutrients and a balanced diet, vitamins and deficiency diseases, minerals, communicable versus non-communicable diseases, pathogens and vectors, vaccines and immunity, and public-health programmes, with discoverers, years and the security relevance at CAPF recognition depth
CAPF wiki•9 min read•19 sections
At a glance
PaperPaper ISubjectGeneral ScienceSyllabusGeneral Science: general awareness, scientific temper, comprehension and appreciation of scientific phenomena of everyday observation, including new areas such as Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Environmental ScienceImportanceHigh
NutritionVitaminsDeficiency DiseasesMineralsVaccinesImmunityPathogensVectors
This note covers what the body needs (nutrients and vitamins), what goes wrong when it falls short (deficiency diseases), what makes us ill (pathogens and the communicable versus non-communicable split), and how we are protected (vaccines and immunity). CAPF tests the vitamin-to-deficiency match (vitamin C and scurvy), the disease-to-pathogen match (malaria and Plasmodium), the disease-to-vector match (dengue and Aedes), the communicable versus non-communicable classification, and who developed which vaccine. The depth target is NCERT Class VIII to X. The vitamin and disease tables below are the densest scoring resource in the biology block, and the security angle (field sanitation, vector control, outbreak response) is exactly the dimension CAPF likes.
- Carbohydrates: the main energy source (rice, wheat, potato, sugar); one gram gives about four kilocalories.
- Proteins: for growth and repair (pulses, milk, eggs, meat, soya); built from amino acids; one gram gives about four kilocalories.
- Fats: concentrated energy store and insulation (oils, butter, ghee, nuts); one gram gives about nine kilocalories.
- Vitamins and minerals: needed in small amounts for regulation and protection.
- Water and dietary fibre (roughage): for hydration and bowel movement.
- A balanced diet has all of these in the right proportion for age and activity.
- Protein-energy malnutrition: kwashiorkor (protein deficiency, swollen belly) and marasmus (energy plus protein deficiency, severe wasting).
- Vitamins are fat-soluble (A, D, E, K), stored in the body, or water-soluble (B group and C), not stored and needed regularly.
| Vitamin |
Chemical name |
Deficiency disease |
Main sources |
| A |
Retinol |
Night blindness, xerophthalmia |
Carrot, green vegetables, milk, liver |
| B1 |
Thiamine |
Beri-beri |
Whole grains, pulses |
| B2 |
Riboflavin |
Cracked lips, sore tongue |
Milk, eggs, green vegetables |
| B3 |
Niacin |
Pellagra |
Meat, groundnut, whole grains |
| B6 |
Pyridoxine |
Anaemia, skin problems |
Meat, banana, vegetables |
| B12 |
Cobalamin |
Pernicious anaemia |
Meat, eggs, dairy |
| C |
Ascorbic acid |
Scurvy (bleeding gums) |
Citrus fruit, amla, guava |
| D |
Calciferol |
Rickets (children), osteomalacia (adults) |
Sunlight, fish, egg yolk |
| E |
Tocopherol |
Reproductive and skin problems |
Vegetable oils, nuts |
| K |
Phylloquinone |
Poor blood clotting |
Green leafy vegetables |
- Vitamin D is the "sunshine vitamin", made in the skin in sunlight. Vitamin C and the B group dissolve in water, so they are lost in excess cooking and washing.
| Mineral |
Role |
Deficiency effect |
| Iron |
part of haemoglobin |
anaemia |
| Iodine |
makes thyroxine |
goitre |
| Calcium |
bones and teeth, clotting |
weak bones, poor clotting |
| Phosphorus |
bones and teeth |
weak bones |
| Sodium and potassium |
nerve and muscle function |
cramps, weakness |
- These spread from one host to another through pathogens (disease-causing organisms): bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa or worms. They spread by air or droplets, water, food, direct contact, blood, or vectors (insects).
| Disease |
Pathogen type |
Pathogen or vector |
| Tuberculosis |
Bacteria |
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (air-borne) |
| Cholera, typhoid |
Bacteria |
water-borne and food-borne |
| Tetanus, diphtheria |
Bacteria |
wound or droplet |
| Malaria |
Protozoa |
Plasmodium, by female Anopheles mosquito |
| Dengue, chikungunya, Zika, yellow fever |
Virus |
by Aedes mosquito |
| Filariasis |
Worm |
by Culex mosquito |
| Kala-azar (leishmaniasis) |
Protozoa |
by sandfly |
| Plague |
Bacteria |
by rat flea |
| COVID-19, influenza, common cold |
Virus |
air-borne or droplet |
| AIDS |
Virus (HIV) |
blood and body fluids |
| Rabies |
Virus |
dog or animal bite |
| Hepatitis B and C |
Virus |
blood and body fluids |
- These do not spread between people; they arise from lifestyle, genetics, ageing or deficiency: diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, and most deficiency diseases.
- A vaccine trains the immune system using a weakened, inactivated or partial pathogen, so the body can recognise and fight the real one. This is acquired (active) immunity.
- Edward Jenner developed the first vaccine, against smallpox (1796), using cowpox.
- Louis Pasteur gave the germ theory of disease, the rabies vaccine and the process of pasteurisation. Robert Koch identified the tuberculosis and cholera bacteria. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin (1928), the first antibiotic.
- Smallpox was declared eradicated by the WHO in 1980, the only human disease so eliminated.
- India's Universal Immunisation Programme covers tuberculosis (BCG), polio (OPV), diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT), measles, hepatitis B and others. India was declared polio-free in 2014 (verify the latest).
- Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses; misuse breeds antibiotic resistance, a growing public-health threat.
| Item |
Fact |
| Vitamin C deficiency |
scurvy |
| Vitamin D deficiency |
rickets (children), osteomalacia (adults) |
| Vitamin A deficiency |
night blindness, xerophthalmia |
| Vitamin B1 deficiency |
beri-beri |
| Vitamin B3 deficiency |
pellagra |
| Vitamin K deficiency |
poor blood clotting |
| Iron deficiency |
anaemia |
| Iodine deficiency |
goitre |
| Calcium deficiency |
weak bones and teeth |
| Sunshine vitamin |
vitamin D |
| Item |
Fact |
| Malaria caused by |
Plasmodium (female Anopheles mosquito) |
| Dengue, chikungunya, Zika spread by |
Aedes mosquito |
| Filariasis spread by |
Culex mosquito |
| Kala-azar spread by |
sandfly |
| Tuberculosis caused by |
Mycobacterium tuberculosis |
| AIDS caused by |
HIV (a virus) |
| First vaccine (smallpox) by |
Edward Jenner (1796) |
| Germ theory and rabies vaccine by |
Louis Pasteur |
| First antibiotic (penicillin) by |
Alexander Fleming (1928) |
| Smallpox eradicated |
1980 (WHO) |
| India declared polio-free |
2014 (verify the latest) |
- Safe drinking water and field sanitation prevent water-borne diseases (cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and E), a major concern for forces deployed in remote camps and disaster zones.
- Vector control (removing stagnant water, using nets and repellents) checks malaria, dengue and kala-azar in camp, border and jungle areas where the BSF, CRPF and SSB operate.
- BCG and routine immunisation are part of standard service medical care; troops moving across regions need protection against locally endemic diseases.
- Outbreak preparedness, quarantine and the National Disaster Response Force role in epidemics are a public-health and internal-security overlap.
- Biological warfare agents (anthrax, smallpox, plague) make pathogen knowledge a CBRN defence concern, linked to the dual-use issues in biotechnology and genetics.
Q1Scurvy is caused by the deficiency of
- Avitamin A
- Bvitamin B1
- Cvitamin C
- Dvitamin D. Answer:
- C. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency causes scurvy with bleeding gums.
Q2Malaria is transmitted by the
- AAedes mosquito
- Bfemale Anopheles mosquito
- CCulex mosquito
- Dhousefly. Answer:
- B. The female Anopheles mosquito transmits the Plasmodium protozoan.
Q3The first vaccine, against smallpox, was developed by
- ALouis Pasteur
- BRobert Koch
- CEdward Jenner
- DAlexander Fleming. Answer:
- C. Jenner developed it in 1796 using cowpox.
Q4Goitre is caused by the deficiency of
- Airon
- Biodine
- Ccalcium
- Dvitamin C. Answer:
- B. Iodine deficiency reduces thyroxine and enlarges the thyroid (goitre).
Q5Which of the following is a non-communicable disease?
- Atuberculosis
- Bcholera
- Cdiabetes
- Dmalaria. Answer:
- C. Diabetes is a lifestyle and genetic disorder that does not spread between people.
- Communicable versus non-communicable: communicable diseases spread by pathogens (tuberculosis, malaria); non-communicable diseases do not (diabetes, cancer, hypertension).
- Anopheles versus Aedes versus Culex: Anopheles spreads malaria, Aedes spreads dengue and chikungunya, Culex spreads filariasis.
- Vitamin versus mineral deficiency: vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy; iron deficiency (a mineral) causes anaemia; iodine deficiency causes goitre.
- Bacteria versus virus disease: tuberculosis and cholera are bacterial; AIDS, dengue, rabies and COVID-19 are viral. Antibiotics work on bacteria, not viruses.
- Jenner versus Pasteur: Jenner made the first (smallpox) vaccine; Pasteur gave the germ theory and the rabies vaccine.
- Kwashiorkor versus marasmus: kwashiorkor is protein deficiency; marasmus is energy plus protein deficiency.
- "Aedes spells Arbovirus" (dengue, chikungunya, Zika); the mosquito that spreads malaria is Anopheles, the Angel of malaria.
- Vitamin diseases: "C for sCurvy, D for rickets (bone), A for night sight, B1 for beri-beri."
- "Iron-poor blood is anaemic; iodine-poor neck is a goitre" pairs the two key minerals.
- "Jenner first (smallpox), Pasteur next (rabies)" keeps the vaccine pioneers in order.
- Carbohydrates give energy, proteins build and repair, fats store energy; amino acids build proteins.
- Vitamin C prevents scurvy, vitamin D prevents rickets, vitamin A prevents night blindness, vitamin B1 prevents beri-beri.
- Iron deficiency causes anaemia; iodine deficiency causes goitre.
- Malaria is from Plasmodium via female Anopheles; dengue via Aedes; filariasis via Culex.
- Tuberculosis is bacterial; AIDS, dengue and rabies are viral; antibiotics work only on bacteria.
- Jenner made the first vaccine (smallpox, 1796); Pasteur gave the germ theory; Fleming found penicillin; smallpox was eradicated in 1980.
- Carbohydrates give energy, proteins build and repair, fats store energy; amino acids build proteins.
- A balanced diet has all nutrients plus water and roughage in the right proportion.
- Fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, K; water-soluble are the B group and C.
- Vitamin C prevents scurvy, D prevents rickets, A prevents night blindness, B1 prevents beri-beri, B3 prevents pellagra.
- Iron deficiency causes anaemia; iodine deficiency causes goitre; calcium deficiency weakens bones.
- Malaria is caused by Plasmodium and spread by the female Anopheles mosquito.
- Dengue, chikungunya and Zika spread by Aedes; filariasis by Culex; kala-azar by the sandfly.
- Tuberculosis is bacterial (Mycobacterium tuberculosis); AIDS is viral (HIV).
- Antibiotics kill bacteria but not viruses; misuse breeds resistance.
- Communicable diseases spread by pathogens; non-communicable ones (diabetes, cancer, hypertension) do not.
- Edward Jenner made the first vaccine (smallpox, 1796); Pasteur gave the germ theory and rabies vaccine.
- Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin (1928), the first antibiotic.
- Smallpox was eradicated in 1980; India was declared polio-free in 2014.
- Kwashiorkor is protein deficiency; marasmus is energy plus protein deficiency.
- Nutrient: a substance the body needs for energy, growth, repair or regulation.
- Balanced diet: food containing all nutrients, water and fibre in the right proportion.
- Vitamin: an organic substance needed in small amounts for normal body function.
- Deficiency disease: an illness caused by the lack of a specific nutrient.
- Pathogen: a disease-causing organism (bacterium, virus, fungus, protozoan or worm).
- Vector: an organism, often an insect, that carries a pathogen from one host to another.
- Communicable disease: a disease that spreads from one person to another.
- Non-communicable disease: a disease that does not spread between people.
- Vaccine: a preparation that trains the immune system to resist a specific disease.
- Immunity: the body's ability to resist and fight infection.
- Antibiotic: a medicine that kills or stops bacteria; it does not work on viruses.
- Antibiotic resistance: the loss of effectiveness of an antibiotic due to misuse.
- Eradication: the complete and permanent removal of a disease worldwide.