Jonas Salk

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/jonas-salk

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Jonas Salk born?October 28, 1914
2. Where was Jonas Salk born?New York City, New York, USA
3. When did Jonas Salk die?June 23, 1995 (age 80)
4. What was Jonas Salk's job?University of Pittsburgh, Salk Institute for Biological Studies
5. What did Jonas Salk do to help stop polio?He created the first successful polio vaccine, using a virus that could not cause disease.
6. How did the polio vaccine work without causing illness?Salk grew the virus in the lab and treated it with formaldehyde, which stopped it from replicating but still let the body learn to fight polio.

Poliomyelitis (Polio): A highly contagious viral disease primarily affecting the nervous system, potentially causing paralysis and respiratory failure.
Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV): A vaccine containing killed poliovirus strains, which stimulates immunity without the risk of causing the disease itself.
Attenuated Virus: A weakened form of a virus that can still trigger an immune response but is less likely to cause severe illness.
Serotype: A distinct variation within a microorganism, such as a virus, that can be distinguished by its specific antigens.