MIDTERM 2 Flashcards
What is the term for an abnormal protein that causes disease in animals and humans?
Prion
What is the term for the ecological location an organism inhabits?
Ecological niche
What are the most common sites for microbial colonization in the human body?
Skin and mucous membranes
Name 5 factors that affect the type and number of microorganisms in habitats?
- pH
- Temperature
- Nutrients
- Toxins
- Other microbes
Name 4 sterile compartments of the human body
- CNS
- Heart
- Kidneys
- Peritoneal cavity
What is the term for microorganisms that cause disease in almost any individual they infect?
True pathogens
What is the term for microorganisms that do not cause disease in healthy individuals?
Opportunistic pathogens
What makes Clostridia bacteria pathogenic to humans?
Exotoxin release
What do opportunistic bacteria release when they die?
Endotoxins
Where is cholera contracted from?
Contaminated water
Name 6 infections that are only found in human reservoirs
- STIs
- Measles
- Mumps
- Polio
- Mumps
- Streptococcal infection
- Smallpox
What is the term for a living organism that carries an infecting particle during part of its life cycle?
Biological vector
What is the term for anything that carries an infecting microorganism passively on its surface?
Mechanical vector
With ingestion, where is the portal of entry?
Any part of the digestive tract
What are fomites?
Objects that can act as reservoirs