Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity and Epidemiology

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary from the lecture on microbial mechanisms of pathogenicity and epidemiology.

Pathology

The study of disease.

Etiology

The study of the cause of a disease.

Pathogen

Microorganisms that can cause disease.

Pathogenesis

Studies how disease develops.

Infection

The successful colonization of a host by a microorganism.

Disease

An abnormal state in which the body is not functioning normally.

Sign

A change in a body that can be measured or observed as a result of disease.

Symptom

A change in body function that is felt by a patient as a result of disease.

Syndrome

A specific group of signs and symptoms that accompany a disease.

Virulence

The degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism.

Exotoxin

Toxins that are actively secreted by living cells into the medium.

Endotoxin

An integral part of the cell wall that is released only when the cell disrupts.

Microbial antagonism

Normal flora inhibits overgrowth of harmful microbes.

Opportunistic pathogens

Pathogens that cause diseases in immune-compromised hosts.

Koch's Postulates

A series of criteria to establish a causal relationship between a microbe and a disease.

Invasive pathogens

Pathogens that disseminate throughout local tissues or the body after adhesion.

Epidemiology

The study of the distribution, frequency, and determinants of health problems and diseases in human populations.

Morbidity

The state of being diseased or unhealthy.

Mortality

Deaths per population.

Incidence

The number of new cases of a disease in a given time period.

Prevalence

The total number of cases of a disease in a population.