The mosquito and the diseases it spreads
A mosquito starts life in water, and only the adult female bites. When she does, she can carry the pathogens of malaria, dengue and yellow fever from one person to the next.
By the end of this page you can
- Explain how a mosquito spreads disease and how each stage can be controlled
- Describe where each stage lives and how it feeds
- Put the life cycle in order
- Define vector, pathogen, larva and pupa, and name the diseases
- Suggest a control method for every stage, with reasons
Goals tick themselves off as you try the activities below.
Photo: James Gathany, CDC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped, resized, JPEG q68.
Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that carries dengue and yellow fever. Look for the white bands on its legs.
How often it shows up in past papers
Paper 1 counts come from our past-paper bank of CSEC Biology Paper 1s. Paper 2 is not included yet.
Born in water, deadly in the air
Where mosquitoes grow, how they spread disease, and how to stop them. Tap each card.
Where each stage lives, and how to stop it
Tap a stage for its home, food and control.
Where does it live?
Pick a stage on the list.
In warm weather the whole cycle can take about a week, so a forgotten bucket can produce biting mosquitoes in days.
The life cycle
From the eggs to a new adult flying off: drag or tap each card into its slot.
Where does it all begin?
Seven terms to know cold
Say what each term means before you flip the card. Name the mosquito with each disease.
Six quick questions, then a real one
Pick an answer to see why it’s right or wrong.
The stages of the mosquito’s life cycle, in order, are
Which stage does NOT feed?
Only female mosquitoes bite because they
Malaria is caused by
A film of oil on still water kills larvae and pupae because
Which method controls ADULT mosquitoes?
exam style · 4 marks
Suggest ONE way to control each stage of the mosquito’s life cycle (egg, larva, pupa, adult) and explain how it works.
Sign in to have your answer marked, or check it against the mark scheme. Sign in
Practice questions are written by My V.I.P. Academy. They are not official CXC papers.