AP Environmental Science Flashcards: Pathogens and Infectious Diseases
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 11 cards to help you master important concepts.
In which global region is Malaria most commonly found?
Malaria is most often found in sub-Saharan Africa.
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In which global region is Malaria most commonly found?
Malaria is most often found in sub-Saharan Africa.
Identify two specific environmental factors in low-income areas that facilitate the spread of disease.
Two key factors are the lack of sanitary waste disposal systems and the presence of contaminated drinking water supplies.
A temperate region is becoming warmer and wetter. What new public health threat might emerge?
The region could see the spread of pathogens, infectious diseases, and vectors typically found in equatorial-type climates.
What is Malaria?
Malaria is a parasitic disease that is caused by bites from infected mosquitoes.
How does climate change affect the geographic range of infectious diseases?
As equatorial-type climate zones spread due to climate change, pathogens and their vectors expand into new areas where the diseases were not previously known.
What two factors enable pathogens to spread into new human populations?
Pathogens spread into new populations through their ability to adapt and by taking advantage of new environmental opportunities, such as changing climate zones.
How is Malaria transmitted?
Malaria is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes, which act as vectors for the parasite.
Explain the connection between poverty and the prevalence of infectious diseases.
Poverty-stricken areas often have conditions like unsanitary waste disposal and contaminated drinking water, which create opportunities for infectious diseases to spread easily.
What is a human pathogen?
A human pathogen is an organism that causes disease and cycles through the environment to infect human populations.
What is a disease vector?
A disease vector is an organism, such as an infected mosquito, that carries and transmits a pathogen to humans or other animals.
Why is pathogen adaptation a threat to human health?
Pathogens adapt to take advantage of new opportunities, which allows them to more effectively infect and spread through human populations.