Acellular Pathogens and Clinical Applications

These flashcards cover key concepts related to acellular pathogens including viruses, viroids, and prions, their effects, and clinical applications.

What defines a teratogen?

A teratogen is an agent that causes malformation of an embryo.

Which viruses are known to have teratogenic effects?

Parvovirus, Cytomegalovirus, HHV 1 & 2 (HSV), Rubella, and HIV.

What are oncogenic viruses?

Oncogenic viruses are those that can cause cancer by transforming normal cells into cancerous cells.

What are the characteristics of malignant tumors?

Malignant tumors are cancerous growths that can invade surrounding tissues and spread to distant organs.

What is the function of membrane filters in virus isolation?

Membrane filters can remove cells or viruses from a solution based on pore size.

How are viruses cultivated in a laboratory?

Viruses must be grown in a live host, including bacteria, animals, or cell cultures.

What is a plaque assay used for?

A plaque assay is used to quantify viruses by measuring the number of plaques formed from virus-induced bacterial lysis.

What are viroids?

Viroids are circular ssRNAs that do not encode gene products and are associated with plant diseases.

How do prions cause disease?

Prions are misfolded proteins that cause disease by inducing normal proteins to change their configuration.

What diseases are caused by prions?

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Kuru, Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome, Scrapie, and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

What are the main groups of viruses based on RNA or DNA type?

Groups include double-stranded DNA, single-stranded DNA, double-stranded RNA, and single-stranded RNA viruses.

What is significant about Group V (-) Sense Single-stranded RNA viruses?

This group includes Influenza viruses, characterized by Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA) proteins.

What is antigenic drift in the context of influenza?

Antigenic drift is the gradual accumulation of mutations that lead to variations in the virus, evading immunity.

What is the mode of transmission for HIV?

HIV is transmitted through body fluids, sexual contact, and sharing intravenous needles.

What is the clinical importance of hepatitis B virus?

Hepatitis B virus can lead to chronic infections that result in liver damage and other severe health issues.