Intro to Fungi Flashcards
Fungi can infect…
plants, insects, amphibians, mammals
Mycology
The study of fungi
Fungus
A chemo-organotrophic eukaryote that lacks chlorophyll and forms spores
Classification is based on morphology
Fungal Kingdom (main 3)
Basidiomycetes, Asconmycetes, Zyomycetes
Fungi causing non-fatal diseases like…
Athletes foot (epidermoplytan) Thrush (Candida) Pityriasis Varicolor (Malasezia)
Candida Species
Infect deep organs of patients with various types of immune dysfunction (ie after abdominal surgery or burns etc)
Aspergillus Species
Infect deep organs of patients undergoing chemotherapy/ stem cell transplantation
Host factors that contribute of pathogenicity of fungal infections
Favourable microenvironments (warm/ moist areas) Broad-spectrum anti-bacterial agents Immunosuppression of all types
Immunosuppression of host defences: LATROGENIC
Steriods, anti-cancer chemotherapy, solid organ transplantation
Immunosuppression of host defences: DISEASE PROCESSES
AIDS, Leukaemia, Endocrinopathies
Candidiasis
Candida commences to GI tract
Remember - candida are YEASTS
Candidiasis risk factors
Age, antibiotics, endocrine disorders, surgery, immune defects
Candida causative species
Candida albicans
Candida tropicalis
Candida glabrata
Aspergillius causative species
aspergillus fumigatus
aspergllus flavus
Aspergillus
MOULDS
fungi that are strongly angioinvasive (penetrate the walls of blood vessels)
