Module 5 - Disease And Disease-Producing Organisms

Iatro Root

Meaning physician or medicine

Idio Root

Meaning self separate or distinct

Pan Prefix

Meaning all or entire

Pre Prefix

Meaning before

Psycho Root

Meaning mind

Chiro Root

Meaning hand

Syn Prefix

Meaning together or joined

Aero Root

Meaning air or gas

An Prefix

Meaning absent deficient or lack of

Diplo Prefix

Meaning double or paired

Myco Root

Meaning fungus

Pyo Root

Meaning pus or pus-forming

Staphylo Prefix

Meaning grapelike cluster

Strepto Prefix

Meaning chain or twisted chain

Toxo Root

Meaning poison or toxin

Cide Suffix

Meaning kill or destroy

Septic Root

Meaning poison rot or deca

Pure Culture

Laboratory population of identical bacterial cells grown from a single isolated bacterium

Agar

Seaweed-derived gel used to solidify nutrient media for growing bacterial cultures

Culture and Sensitivity or C and S

Test procedure to isolate a pathogen in pure culture and evaluate its susceptibility to various antibiotics

Gram Stain

Differential staining technique that classifies bacteria into Gram-positive or Gram-negative based on cell wall composition

Gram-Positive

Bacteria that retain crystal violet iodine dye appearing bluish-purple under a microscope

Gram-Negative

Bacteria that lose primary stain when washed with alcohol and take up a red counterstain

Acid-Fast Stain

Staining procedure used to identify mycobacteria like tuberculosis that retain red dye after acid washing

Rapid Detection Tests

Diagnostic tests analyzing sample antigens to identify specific microbes like strep or HIV within minutes

Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR

Molecular technique using enzymes to amplify unique nucleic acid sequences for pathogen identificatio

Correlation

Relationship between two events that frequently occur together without one causing the other

Causation

Sequence of direct interactions where one event specifically produces a distinct effect

Zoonotic Disease

Infectious disease that can be naturally transmitted from animals to humans

Pasteurization

Process of heating liquids like milk to a specific temperature for a short duration to kill pathogenic microbes

Ultra-High Temperature Pasteurization

Heating process using extreme temperatures to achieve complete liquid sterilization

Asepsis

Condition of freedom from disease-causing microorganisms or infectious material

Sterilization

Process of completely destroying all living microorganisms including bacterial endospores

Autoclave

Apparatus using steam under pressure to achieve complete sterilization

Disinfectant

Chemical agent applied to non-living objects to destroy most pathogenic microorganisms

Antiseptic

Chemical agent safe for application to living tissue or skin to inhibit or kill microbes

Body Substance Precautions

Guidelines requiring barriers like gloves and masks when handling any moist body fluids

Contact Isolation Precautions

Measures like gowns and gloves used to prevent infection spread through direct physical contact

Droplet Isolation Precautions

Infection control measures using masks to prevent transmission of microbes carried in respiratory droplets

Airborne Isolation Precautions

Strict measures including negative pressure rooms and N95 masks for microbes travelling long distances in air

Handwashing

Single most important measure for preventing the spread of infection in all setting

Antibiotic

Substance produced by living cells or synthetically that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria

Anthelmintic Agent or Vermifuge

Drug specifically designed to destroy or expel parasitic intestinal worms

Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic

Antimicrobial agent effective against a wide variety of bacterial species

Nosocomial Infection

Infection acquired during a stay in a hospital or health care facilit

Helminthology

Branch of zoology dedicated to the study of parasitic worms

Helminth

Parasitic worm such as a roundworm or flatworm

Ascaris

Large parasitic roundworm that infests the human intestines or lungs

Pinworm or Seat Worm

Common intestinal roundworm that lays eggs around the anus causing intense itching

Hookworm

Intestinal roundworm that attaches to the intestinal wall and sucks blood causing anemia

Filarial Worm

Threadlike roundworm transmitted by biting insects that can block lymphatic vessels

Elephantiasis or Lymphatic Filariasis

Severe swelling of limbs or tissues caused by filarial worm blockage of lymphatic vessels

Tapeworm

Long ribbon-like flatworm that colonizes the intestinal tract through undercooked meat

Fluke

Leaf-shaped flatworm that invades body organs such as the liver lungs or blood vessels

Arthropod

Invertebrate animal with jointed appendages and an exoskeleton including insects and arachnids

Pediculosis

Infestation with lice on the scalp body or pubic region

Scabies

Contagious skin infestation caused by a microscopic mite burrowing into the epidermi

Microbiology

Study of microscopic organisms including bacteria viruses fungi and protozoa

Bacteriology

Branch of microbiology specializing in the study of bacteria

Virology

Branch of microbiology specializing in the study of viruses

Mycology

Branch of microbiology specializing in the study of fungi

Protozoology

Branch of microbiology specializing in the study of protozoa

Parasitology

Branch of biology studying parasites including protozoa and parasitic worms

Microbiome or Normal Flora

Microscopic community of harmless microorganisms that live on and within the human body to aid digestion and protect against pathogens

Endospore

Highly resistant dormant structure produced by certain bacteria to survive extreme heat dryness and disinfection

Toxin

Poisonous substance produced by pathogenic bacteria that directly damages body cells or tissues

Binary Fission

Simple form of asexual reproduction where a bacterial cell divides into two identical daughter cells

Coccus

Round or spherical bacterial cell that can occur in pairs chains or clusters

Diplococci

Spherical bacteria that occur in characteristic paired arrangements

Streptococci

Spherical bacteria that form chain-like arrangements

Staphylococci

Spherical bacteria that form cluster-like arrangements

Bacillus

Straight rod-shaped bacterial cell often capable of forming endospores

Vibrio

Short comma-shaped curved rod bacterium

Spirillum

Rigid spiral or corkscrew-shaped bacterium

Spirochete

Flexible spiral-shaped bacterium capable of waving and twisting motions

Obligate Intracellular Parasite

Organism such as Rickettsia Chlamydia or viruses that can only replicate inside living host cells

Virus

Non-cellular infectious agent consisting of a nucleic acid core surrounded by a protein coat that requires a host cell to reproduce

Prion

Infectious misfolded protein agent that causes neurodegenerative brain diseases without containing genetic material

Yeast

Single-celled globular fungus that reproduces by budding or simple cell division

Mold

Multicellular filamentous fungus that reproduces by spores

Mycotic Infection

Disease or infection caused by a fungal organism such as tinea or candidiasis

Ameba

Irregularly shaped protozoon that moves by extending pseudopods

Ciliate

Protozoon propelled by numerous hair-like surface projections called cilia

Flagellate

Protozoon propelled by one or more long whip-like structures called flagella

Apicomplexan

Non-motile obligate parasitic protozoon such as the malaria-causing Plasmodiu

Microorganism

Microscopic organism that can only be viewed with the aid of a microscope

Parasite

Organism that lives on or within another host organism and derives nourishment at the host expense

Host

Organism that harbors or provides nourishment to a parasite or pathogen

Pathogen

Disease-causing organism or biological agent

Infection

Invasion and multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms within body tissues

Virulence

Measure of the power or severity of an organism to produce disease

Systemic Infection

Infection that spreads throughout the entire body rather than remaining localized

Opportunistic Infection

Infection that takes hold specifically because a host immune system is weakened or compromised

Communicable Disease

Disease capable of being transmitted directly or indirectly from one individual to another

Vector

Organism such as an insect or rodent that transmits a pathogen from one host to another

Portal of Entry

Environmental pathway or body opening through which a microorganism penetrates tissues to cause infection

Portal of Exit

Route through which a pathogen leaves the host body to infect others or contaminate the environmen

Diagnosis

Process of identifying and determining the cause and nature of a disease or illness

Symptom

Subjective evidence of disease experienced and reported by the patient such as pain or nausea

Sign

Objective evidence of disease observed or measured by a clinician such as fever or swelling