Chapter 14: Infectious Disease Flashcards
What are pathogens?
A disease-causing agent
What are the different types of pathogens?
Prions, viruses, bacteria, fungi, protists and parasites
What is a prion?
A small infectious protein
What is a flagellum?
A whip-like appendage that helps bacteria move
What are endospheres?
A tough, dormant structure formed to help many bacteria to help them resist unfavourable conditions and disperse to new hosts
What is binary fission?
The division of a cell into two without mitosis; a prokaryotic cell splits to form two daughter cells
What is chitin?
A polysaccharide that is the main component of fungal cell walls and the exoskeletons of insects and other arthopods
What are protists?
Unicellular, eukaryotic organsims that reporduce noth sexually and asexually
What are exctoparasites?
A parasite that lives on the surface of another organism
What does virulence factor mean?
A characteristic that helps bacteria to invade the host, cause disease and evade host defences
What is a adhesin?
A characteristic that helps to bind to host cell surfaces
What is a pilus?
A surface appendage in some bacteria that functions in adherance
What are invasion factors?
A charcteristic that helps pathogens to invade the host
How do caspsules protect bacteria against host defences?
Inhibit phagocytosis by host immune cells
What are endotoxins?
A poisonous molecule attached to the outer membrane of certain bacteria that is usually released upon lysis of the bacterial cell
What is a` lipopolysaccharide?
A lipid-sugar compound that forms the outer surface of some types of bacteria
What are extoxins?
A protein toxin or enzyme actively secreted by pathogenic bacteria into their surroudnings
What is more toxic, exotoxins or endotoxins?
Exotoxins
What is the difference between a cytotoxin, a neurotoxin and an entereotoxin
Cytotoxins disrupts or kills cells, neurotoxins dirsupts the functioning of nerves and entereotoxins disrupts intestinal function
What is a vector?
A living organism that transmits pathogens from one host to another; a vehicle used to transfer DNA sequences from one organism or another
