mocrobiology test 1

Pathogens

Disease causing microorganisms

Disease

Microorganisms overcome the body’s defenses

Pathology

Scientific study of disease

Etiology

cause

Pathogenesis

Development

Infection

Invasion and growth of pathogens in the body

Host

Organism that shelters and supports the growth of pathogens

Disease

State in which the body is not properly adjusted or is incapable of preforming normal functions

Normal microbiota

Microbes that live stably in and on the human body

Transient microbiota

microbes that are present for various periods and then disappear

Microbial antagonism

Normal microbiota prevent pathogens from causing an infection

Symbiosis

normal microbiota and host live together

Commensalism

one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Mutualism

Both organisms benefits

Parasitism

One organism benefits and one is harmed

Opportunistic pathogens

Do not cause disease under normal conditions but cause disease under special conditions

Syndrome

A specific group of symptoms or signs that always accompanies a specific disease

Communicable diseases

Transmitted directly or indirectly from one host to another

Contagious disease

Very communicable disease that is capable of spreading easily and rapidly from one person to another

Noncommunicable disease

Caused by microorganisms that normally grow outside the human body and are not transmitted from one host to another

Incidence

Number of people contracting the disease

Prevalence

Number of people with the disease

Sporadic

Disease that occurs occasionally in a population

Endemic

Disease that is consistently present within a specific population or geographic area

Epidemic

Disease that affects a large number of individuals within a specific area over a short period of time

Pandemic

Epidemic that occurs worldwide

Actute

Disease in which symptoms develop rapidly but lasts for only a short time

Chronic

Disease that develop slowly and persist for long periods

Latent

Period of no symptoms when the pathogen is inactive

Herd immunity

The presence of immunity to a disease in most of the population

Primary infection

Acute infection that causes the initial illness

Secondary infection

Occur after the host is weakened from a primary infection

Subclinical / Inapparent

Infection does not cause any signs or symptoms of disease in the host

Incubation period

Interval between the initial infection and the first appearance of signs and symptom

Prodromal period

The appearance of the first mild signs and symptoms

Period of illness

The disease is at its height and all disease signs and symptoms are apparent

Period of decline

Signs and symptoms subside

Convalescence

Body returns to its pre diseased state and health is restored

Reservoir of infection

Continual source of infection

Zoonoses

Diseases that affect wild and domestic animals and can be transmitted to humans

Fomite

Nonliving objects that can spread infections

Vehicle transmission

Transmission by air, water, or food

Arthropod vectors

Carry pathogens from one host to another by mechanical and biological transmission

Microorganisms

Living things too small to be seen with the unaided eye

Genus

First name in organism

Specific Epithet

Second name of organism

Prokaryotic

unicellular with no nucleus

Prokaryotic examples

Bacteria and Archaea

Bacteria

has peptidoglycan cell wall

Archaea

cell wall lacks peptidoglycan and doesn’t cause disease in humans

Eukaryotes

Unicellular / multicellular and has nucleus

Eukoytes examples

Fungi, algae, Protozoa, humans

Fungi (mushrooms, mold, yeasts)

Contains chitin in cell wall and nucleus contains DNA

Algae

Obtain nourishment by photosynthesis

Protozoa

live as free entity or parasites that absorb organic compounds from environment

Acellular

not made of cells / not living

Acellular example

Virus

Virus

requires a host to reproduce and be considered living

Cell Theory

The concept that all living things are composed of cells

Spontaneous Generation

the idea that living organisms could arise from nonliving matter

Biogenesis

Living cells can arise only from preexisting cells

Pasteurization

Heating process used to kill bacteria in some alcoholic beverages and milk

Koch’s postulates

Procedures used to prove that a particular microorganism causes a particular disease

Synthetic Drugs

Chemically prepared in the laboratory

Antibiotics

Substances produced naturally by bacteria and fungi to inhibit the growth of other microorganisms

Mycology

study of fungi

Genomics

Study of an organisms genes

Bioremediation process

Use bacteria to clean up toxic wastes

Biotechnology

using microbes to make products such as food and chemicals

Biofilms

Bacterial communities that form slimy layers on surfaces

Infectious disease

When pathogens invade a susceptible host

Emerging infectious disease (EID)

New or changing disease showing an increase in incidence