week 5 Flashcards
what percentage of the cells in our body are off human origion? What makes up the rest of our cells?
10%
Human commensal flora/human microbiota –> mainly bacteria but also some fungi and protista
what factor affects the type of microbial flora in our body?
the anatomical sight
what type of bacteria is in our teeth and what disease can it cause?
Streptococcus mutans which can cause tooth decay
what type of bacteria is found in our tongue and other soft tissue in our mouth?
home to large numbers of Streptococcus salivarius
how can Streptococcus mutans in the teeth cause a disease?
to much sugar will cause Streptococcus mutans to produce acid which will decay the teeth
what do we substance do we depend on microorgansims providing?
Continous supply of vitamin K in our body and also provide most of our fixed supply of nitrogen
who discovered that infection agents can cause disease and what is the name of the criteria?
Robert Koch and the criteria is called Koch’s Postulates
what are Koch’s postulates state?
The causative organism must be isolated from every individual suffering from the disease in question;
The causative organism must be cultivated artificially in pure culture;
When the causative organism is inoculated from pure culture, the typical symptoms of the infection must result;
The causative organism must be recoverable from individuals who are infected experimentally.
what is Koch’s Postulates for genes ?
Genes encode virulence factors:
The gene encoding the trait of interest should be present and transcribed/translated in a virulent strain;
The gene encoding the trait of interest should NOT be present or should be silent in a strain that does not cause disease;
Disruption of the gene in a virulent strain should result in the formation of a strain that is incapable of causing disease;
Introduction of the gene into a strain that previously did not cause disease should transform the strain into one that does cause disease;
The gene must be expressed during infection
Antibodies raised against the gene product or the appropriate cell-mediated immunity should protect experimental subjects against disease.
what are the problems of koch’s postulates?
difficulty of isolation the causative agent;
impossible to grow some pathogens in artificial culture;
ethical objections;
animal models not sufficient.
what does a virus comprimise off?
a nucleic acid core wrapped around in a protein coat made up of capsomeres
what is the envelope of a virus made off and do all virus have one?
Made up of lipids that has been derived from the cell it is infecting. Not all virus’s have envelope
how do retrovirus work?
They have a RNA and upon infecting a cell they integrate there RNA into the cells DNA using reverse transcriptase and then cause production of mRNA. This contains the viral frgaments and more and more virus is produced –> example HIV
What type of virus attacks bacteria?
bacteriophage
What virus infection do plants suffer from?
viroids –> naked infectious RNA that is not associated with any proteins
what causes spongiform encephalopathies and give examples?
Caused by prions. Example of infection are mad cow disease (BSE)/CJD
what is the structure of microfungi?
They are eukaryotic and have a cell wall made of chitin. This is a polymer of N-acetyl glucosamine
how do moulds grow?
moulds are fungi that grow in mats of tiny filaments known as hyphae and form mats called mycelia
what structure subdivides mycelia?
They are subdivided into seperate compartments by by septa which are cross walls. Not all are subdivided
What cellular type is mould and what is it kind of related to?
Moulds are multicellular and to some degree related to muschrooms and toad stoles
What cellular type is yeast?
They are unicellular fungi
what is the most common type of yeast infection and what is it caused by?
Thrush and caused by Candida albicans
Give example of superfecial mould infections
athletes foot and ringworm
what are the classes of protista?
apicomplxa (formerly sporozoa),
flagellate protista,
ciliate Protista –> no causes of infection
amoebae –> cause diarrhoea or meningitis