Microbial Mechanism of Pathogenicity slide Flashcards

Vocabulary and terminology covering microbial pathogenicity, disease classifications, Koch's postulates, and specific virulence factors from Chapter 15.

cyto-

A prefix meaning cell.

cytopenia

A reduction in the number of blood cells.

hepat-

A prefix meaning of the liver.

hepatitis

Inflammation of the liver.

-pathy

A suffix meaning disease.

neuropathy

A disease affecting nerves.

-emia

A suffix meaning of the blood.

bacteremia

The presence of bacteria in blood.

-itis

A suffix meaning inflammation.

colitis

Inflammation of the colon.

-lysis

A suffix meaning destruction.

hemolysis

The destruction of red blood cells.

-oma

A suffix meaning tumor.

lymphoma

Cancer of the lymphatic system.

-osis

A suffix meaning a diseased or abnormal condition.

leukocytosis

An abnormally high number of white blood cells.

-derma

A suffix meaning of the skin.

keratoderma

A thickening of the skin.

Infectious Disease

Any disease caused by the direct effect of a pathogen.

Communicable

Capable of being spread from person to person through direct or indirect mechanisms.

Noncommunicable

A disease that is not spread from one person to another.

Contagious

A disease that is easily spread from one person to another.

Iatrogenic disease

A disease contracted as a result of a medical procedure.

Nosocomial disease

Diseases acquired in a hospital setting.

Zoonotic disease

A disease transmitted from an animal to a human.

Noninfectious Disease

A disease not caused by a pathogen, such as sickle cell disease.

Pathogenicity

The ability of a microbial agent to cause disease.

Virulence

The degree to which an organism is pathogenic.

Primary pathogen

A pathogen that can cause disease in a host regardless of the host’s resident microbiota or immune system.

Opportunistic pathogen

A pathogen that can only cause disease in situations that compromise the host’s defenses, such as protective barriers or the immune system.

Koch's Postulates

A four-step criteria used for confirming that a specific pathogen is the cause of a particular disease.

Molecular Koch's Postulates

A set of three postulates used to associate a specific gene or phenotype with pathogenicity, often applied to strains like EHEC.

Shiga toxin

A bacterial poison produced by EHEC that inhibits protein synthesis.

Hyaluronidase

An enzyme produced by bacteria that degrades hyaluronan in the extracellular matrix to allow passage between cells.

Mycotoxins

Exotoxins produced by many fungi.

Candida albicans

An opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes oral thrush, vaginal yeast infections, and cutaneous candidiasis.

Giardia lamblia

A protozoan pathogen that causes giardiasis and uses a large adhesive disc of microtubules to attach to intestinal mucosa.

Helminths

Multicellular eukaryotic parasites, also known as parasitic worms, that use virulence factors to gain entry to host tissues.

Schistosoma mansoni

A helminth that causes schistosomiasis and penetrates skin using proteases to degrade proteins like elastin.