What is the difference between communicable and non-communicable diseases

Looking at the word communicable you may notice that it sounds similar to the word communicate, which is exactly what it means.

A communicable disease is one which can communicate to other living organisms i.e it is infectious. You can 'catch' it. For example, the common cold might spread from person to person as the harmful pathogen, which causes the cold, passes from a person with the cold (who might sneeze, or cough) and gets inhaled by someone without the cold.

Note here how the term living organisms was used rather than person, communicable diseases can also pass amongst animals and plants (they are transmissible).

Can you now have a go at guessing what non-communicable diseases are?

Looking at the following, now decide if they are communicable or non-communicable. Influenza virus (flu); AIDs; Tumour; HIV; Chicken Pox; Cancer