Microbial infection Flashcards
What are viruses?
Obligate parasites that divide by cytolysis or budding out of host cell.
What is a retro virus?
Has RNA as its genetic material. Has an enzyme called reverse transcriptase in capsid; RNA can be converted to DNA and viral DNA can be inserted into human genome by an integrase.
What cancer does human papilloma viruses cause?
Cervical cancer.
What kind of cell is bacteria?
Prokaryote
Key points of prokaryotes
Don’t have internal membranes. Single copy of chromosome (haploid). Contain peptidoglycan in cell wall. Divide by binary fission. Poorly defined cytoskeleton.
Why are mutations expressed immediately in prokaryotes?
Only contain one copy of the gene.
What gives bacteria its shape?
Peptidoglycan in cell wall.
How is shigella transmitted?
Faecal-oral transmission.
What is the infectious dose of shigella?
10-100 bacteria.
How does shigella spread?
Using host cell actin.
Damage caused by shigella?
Destroys cells in the GI Tract.
What is septicemia?
Severe inflammatory response that causes septic shock. Caused when bacteria enter the blood.
What kind of bacteria is Neisseria meningitidis?
Harmless commensal bacterium. Under certain conditions can become a potentially lethal disease that can cause sepsis and acute meningitis.
H. pylori (Heliobacter pylori) can cause what?
Peptic ulcer and gastric cancer.
Why are mutations more common in bacteria than humans?
Generation time is much quicker and haploid organism so only require one gene to have effect.
What kind of cell are fungi?
Eukaryotes.
Example of fungi?
Candida albicans.
What kind of cell are protozoa?
Eukaryotes.
How many cells are protozoa?
Unicellular
Examples of protozoa?
Malaria and Leishmaniasis.
How do protozoa replicate?
Binary fission or by forming trophozoites inside a cell.
How do protozoa infect?
Ingestion or by a vector.
How does malaria and leishmaniasis replicate?
Formation of trophozoites inside a cell
What are helminths?
Multicellular eukaryotes.
Examples of helminths?
Roundworms such as ascaris. Flatworms
What can flukes (type of flatworm) cause?
Schistosomiasis.
2 examples of HAI’s
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium Difficile.
What infectious agents can increase risk of cancer?
Bacteria and viruses.
Which organism has greatest point mutation rate?
Viruses.