Pathogens Study Guide Flashcards
Epidemiology
Branch of medical science concerned with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases that affect large numbers of people
Outbreak
A sudden rise in the incidence of a disease
Endemic
a disease commonly found in an area
Pandemic
a widespread outbreak of a disease
Epidemic
a localized outbreak of a disease
Nosocomial
hospital acquired infection
Infection
the invasion and growth of germs in the body
Disease
a disorder or structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that has a known cause and a distinctive group of symptoms
Host
an organism that carries a disease, supports the lift of a specific pathogen
Pathogen
An organism that causes disease
Direct contact
Disease transmission that occurs when a susceptible host touches an infected individual or is exposed to their body fluids.
Indirect contact
Disease transmission that occurs when a susceptible host inhales infected particles, touches an infected object, or is bitten by an infected insect.
innate immunity
non-specific immune disease present since birth
Antigen
something that evokes an immune response
Acquired immunity
learned immunity, only gained after exposure, specific disease
T-cells
immune system cells that matured in the thymus that attacks antigens
Antibodies
a protein made by the immune system that attacks antigens
B-cells
immune system cells matured in the bone marrow that produce antibodies
What is a protist?
a single-celled organism that can cause disease
vaccine
something that is taken to build artificial immunity to a disease
What is a virus?
non-living, submicroscopic infective agents that typically comprise an RNA or DNA core of a genetic material surrounded by a protein coat
Immunity
being resistant to an infection
What is a prion?
misfolded proteins, proliferate by making normal proteins convert to the abnormal form that causes disease
What is helminth?
parasites/worms, a large eukaryotic, multicellular, parasitic worm
Etiology
cause of a disease
What is bacteria?
a single-celled, prokaryotic microorganism
What is fungi?
parasitic spore-producing eukaryotic organisms that lack chlorophyll
What is herd immunity? How is it obtained by population
an artificially obtained immunity, it is caused when the majority of the population has immunity to a specific pathogen due to a vaccine
What are the three bacteria shapes?
Bacillus(Rod Shaped), Coccus(Sphere Shaped), Sprillus(Corkscrew Shaped)
What are the different types of bacterial cell arrangements?
individual, cluster, chain
What is gram positive bacteria?
THICK PEPTIDOGLYCAN layer in the cells wall, no cell membrane, holds onto crystal purple stain
What is gram negative bacteria?
THIN PEPTIDOGLYCAN layer in the cell wall, SURROUNDED BY CELL MEMBRANE, controls what goes in and out of cell, dissolved by alcohol gram staining
What type of bacteria is more difficult to fight off?
Gram negative because there are more components to the cell membrane which can mutate and develop antibiotic resistance
