Biology Year 12 - Module 8 - Lesson 6

Causes of Non-infectious Disease — Genetic, Environmental, Nutritional, Cancer

Use this worksheet after reading the lesson to practise the key ideas and prove you can meet the success criteria.

Name

Date

Class

1. Key Ideas

Cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and dementia together kill more people every year than every infectious disease combined — and the gap is widening. This lesson builds the classification framework you need before diving into each category in detail across L07–L10.

The definition of non-infectious disease and how it differs from infectious disease
Why a risk factor is not the same as a cause

2. Success Criteria

By the end, you should be able to:

The definition of non-infectious disease and how it differs from infectious disease
The four categories of non-infectious disease: genetic, environmental, nutritional, cancer
At least two examples of each category

3. Key Terms

infectious diseasecaused by a pathogen — a bacterium, virus, fungus, or parasite — that can be transmitted between hosts through direct co

five causes of deathcoronary heart disease, dementia/Alzheimer's, cerebrovascular disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, and lung cance

peopleliving long enough for non-infectious diseases — which often take decades to develop — to become the dominant killers

risk factornot the same as a cause

Transmissionthe key — not severity, not treatability, not genetic involvement

and thisimportant — some non-infectious diseases have infectious triggers

4. Activity: Build the Lesson Map

Use the lesson to complete the table. Keep answers brief but specific.

Prompt	Your answer
Main concept
Important example
Common mistake to avoid
How this links to the next lesson

5. Short Answer Questions

1. Explain this lesson goal in your own words: "The definition of non-infectious disease and how it differs from infectious disease". Use one specific example from the lesson.

Band 32 marks

2. Apply this idea to a new example: "The four categories of non-infectious disease: genetic, environmental, nutritional, cancer". Show your reasoning clearly.

Band 43 marks

3. Analyse why this idea matters for understanding Causes of Non-infectious Disease — Genetic, Environmental, Nutritional, Cancer: "At least two examples of each category".

Band 54 marks

6. Extend: Apply the Idea

Band 5/65 marks

A student gives a memorised answer about Causes of Non-infectious Disease — Genetic, Environmental, Nutritional, Cancer but does not use evidence or reasoning.

Improve the answer by writing a stronger response that uses accurate terminology, a relevant example and a clear explanation.

7. Multiple Choice

1. What is the best first step when answering a question about Causes of Non-infectious Disease — Genetic, Environmental, Nutritional, Cancer?

A. Identify the key concept being tested

B. Write every fact from memory

C. Ignore the command word

D. Skip examples and evidence

2. Which answer would show stronger understanding of Causes of Non-infectious Disease — Genetic, Environmental, Nutritional, Cancer?

A. An answer with accurate terms and reasoning

B. A copied definition only

C. A single-word response

D. An answer with no example

3. What should you do if a question asks you to explain?

A. Link the idea to a reason or cause

B. List unrelated facts

C. Only draw a diagram

D. Write the shortest possible answer

8. Success Criteria Proof

Finish with evidence that you can do each success criterion.

Success criterion 1

Prove that you can: The definition of non-infectious disease and how it differs from infectious disease