Which term would you use for a living thing that causes disease?

Which term would you use for a living thing that causes disease?

• A. Infectious Disease
• B. Algae
• C. Virus
• D. Storm Drains

Answer: (C)

A living thing that causes disease is a virus because a virus is a tiny living-like organism that can invade the body’s cells and make more copies, leading to illness. It acts as a pathogen, the agent that causes disease in a host. The other options don’t fit this idea: Infectious disease is the illness itself, not the living thing; algae are living organisms but not typically described as disease-causing pathogens in this context; storm drains are inanimate and not living. So a virus is the term that best fits a living thing that causes disease.

A living thing that causes disease is a virus because a virus is a tiny living-like organism that can invade the body’s cells and make more copies, leading to illness. It acts as a pathogen, the agent that causes disease in a host. The other options don’t fit this idea: Infectious disease is the illness itself, not the living thing; algae are living organisms but not typically described as disease-causing pathogens in this context; storm drains are inanimate and not living. So a virus is the term that best fits a living thing that causes disease.