pathogens Flashcards
—— have been a major cause of mortality throughout history
infectious diseases
pathogen
microbial parasites that are able to cause infections
infection
situation in which a microorganism is established and growing in a host, causing damage
disease
damage or injury to the host that impairs host fxn
pathogenicity
the ability of a parasite to inflict damage to the host
virulence
measure of pathogenicity
opportunistic pathogen
cause disease only in the absence of normal host resistance. the normal microbiome contains opportunistic pathogens (e.g. if the microbiome of the got enters the urinary tact, it’ll cause disease)
different species have different —— properties
virulence
a pathogen is usually identified by the:
set of virulence genes that are carried and expressed
name and describe the two factors that determine virulence
1) invasiveness: the ability of a microorganisms to become established in the host to overcome the host defensives and to spread in the tissues
2) toxigenicity: the capacity of the microorganism to produce substances known as toxins that damage specific tissues of the host
name the different factors used by pathogens to become invasive
- adhesins
- capsule
- enzymes that destroy host tissues
- invasins
adhesins
promote specific attachment to the host cell surfaces
- one adresin type is usually able to attach to one r a few cell types, determine the site of colonization
——- form loose attachments (adhesins)
while ——- mediate close attachments (adhesins)
fimbriae, pilli,
afrimbial adhesins, surface proteins (not filaments)
(T/F)
capsules are produced by some bacterial pathogens
true
function of capsules
prevents the pathogen from being destroyed by hist cell immune system (phagocytes, complement, etc)
- also mediates attachment to host cells and to other bacteria