Exam 3 Flashcards
Definition of colonization
The act of taking up long-term residence; as in microbes establishing a steady relationship with a host.
Definition of infection
a condition where the microbes get past host defenses, enter tissues, and multiply
Definition of disease
deviation from health that results when cumulative effects on infection damage or disrupt tissues and organs
What are the sites where normal biota is found in humans
skin and adjacent mucous membranes, upper respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract(including mouth), outer portion or urethra, external genitalia, vagina, external ear canal, external eye(lids, conjuctiva)
What is the difference between pathogenicity and virulence
- pathogenicity: an organisms potential to cause disease
- virulence: relative severity of a disease caused by a particular microbe(degree of pathogenicity)
What’s the difference between endogenous and exogenous
- endogenous: organisms coming from somewhere in the same human host
- exogenous: organisms coming from outside the body
What are the steps involved when a microbe causes disease in a host
1.) Finding a portal of entry: skin, GI tract, respiratory tract, urogenital tract, endogenous bacteria
2.) Attaching Firmly and Negotiating the Microbiome: fimbriae, capsules, surface proteins, viral spikes
3.) Surviving Host Defenses: avoiding phagocytosis, avoiding death inside phagocyte, absence of adaptive immunity
4.) Causing Damage: direct damage via enzymes or toxins, inducing excessive host response, causing epigenetic changes in host chromosome
5.) Exiting Host: respiratory tract, salivary glands, skin cells, fecal matter, urogenital tract, blood
Define infectious dose
the minimum number of microbes necessary to cause infection to proceed: microorganisms with smaller infectious doses have greater virulence
What are the ways in which microorganisms attach to the host
1.) bacterial, fungal, and protozoal: fimbriae(pili), surface proteins, adhesive slimes or capsules
2.) viruses: specialized receptors
3.) parasitic worms: suckers, hooks, and barbs
What is the most potent endotoxin and which bacteria possess it
lipopolysaccharide(LPS); gram negative
What are some differences between exotoxins and endotoxins
1.) Exotoxins are toxic in small amounts and endotoxins are in high doses
2.) Exotoxins involve small proteins and no fever, endotoxins involve lipopolysaccharide and has fever
Definition of virulence factors
adaptations a microbe uses to establish itself in a host
What is a localized infection
microbes enter the body, remain confined to a specific tissue
What is a systemic infection
infection spreads to several sites and tissue fluids, usually by bloodstream but possibly by CSF and nerves
What is a focal infection
Infectious agents spreads from a (usually asymptomatic) local site and is carried to other tissues