Organisms That Cause Disease Flashcards
What is a pathogen?
Organism that cause disease. They live in a host. The hosy creates a good habitat in which microorganisms that live by taking nutrition from their host, but also cause damage in the process, can be considerable
What is Bacteria?
Belongs to prokaryotae kingdom. Their cells are smaller than eukaryotic cells but reproduce quickly. Some can reproduce every 20 minutes. Bacteria can cause disease by damaging cells or release waste products that are toxic to host. In plants, Bacteria often live in the vascular tissues and can cause blackening and death of these tissues.
What is a fungi? (Animals)
Typically lives under skin, where it is hyphae, forms a mycelium, grow under the skin surface. The fungus can send out specialised reproductive hyphae which grow to the surface of skin to
release spores. Cause redness snd irritation.
What is a fungi? (Plants)
Lives in vascular tissue, where it can gain nutrients. Hyphae release extracellular enzymes, such as cellulases, to digest the surrounding tissue, causes decay. Leaves mottled in colour, curl up and shrivel, before death. Fruit and storage organs, will turn black and decay.
What is a virus?
They invade cells and take over the genetic machinery and other organelles of the cell. They cause the cell to create more copied of the virus. Host cell bursts, releasing new viruses which infect healthy cells to be spread around.
