Chapter 32: Prions

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture on prions (Chapter 32).

Prion

A proteinaceous infectious particle that lacks nucleic acid and is capable of causing fatal disease.

Filterable Agent

An organism or particle small enough to pass through standard laboratory filters, making detection difficult; prions are filterable proteins.

Scrapie

A prion disease of sheep and goats marked by head-and-neck tremors, prostration, and eventual death.

Tremors

Involuntary shaking movements, first clinical sign of prion infection in livestock.

Prostration

A state in which an animal collapses and lies face-down, occurring after tremors in prion-affected animals.

Histology

Microscopic examination of tissues; used to diagnose prion diseases by observing brain tissue.

Vacuoles

Large, sponge-like holes that develop in the cortex and cerebellum of prion-infected brains.

Cortex

The large outer region of the brain where prion-induced vacuoles are commonly observed.

Cerebellum

A brain region involved in motor control that also develops vacuoles during prion infection.