Bacterial Pathogenicity Flashcards
1
Q
What is a pathogen?
A
an organism capable of causing disease
2
Q
what is a commensal?
A
an organism that is part of the normal flora
3
Q
what is pathogenicity?
A
the ability to cause disease
4
Q
what is virulence?
A
the ability to cause severe disease
5
Q
What is the cycle of pathogenicity?
A
- Enter/Attach to host
- Colonise
- Evade host immunity
- Produce harmful proteins
- Disseminate/spread
- Release from host
6
Q
What is an exotoxin?
A
Produced inside gram+ve bacteria and secreted out of the cell following lysis (breakdown of cell membrane)
7
Q
what is an endotoxin?
A
Are on the outer portion of the gram-ve bacterial cell wall. They are released when bacteria die and cell wall breaks apart
