PBS 3.1.1-3.1.6

Nosocomial Infection

An infection acquired in a hospital or healthcare facility.

Epidemiologist Role

A professional who studies the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases.

Types of Outbreaks

Sporadic, endemic, epidemic, and pandemic are classifications of outbreaks.

Host

An organism that harbors a pathogen.

Pathogen

An agent that causes disease, such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi.

Disease

A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant.

Infection

Invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms.

Types of Infectious Agents

The six major types include bacteria, viruses, helminths, prions, fungi, and protists.

Chain of Infection

The process by which an infectious disease is transmitted, involving a pathogen, host, and environment.

Innate Immunity

The body's first line of defense against pathogens, including physical barriers and immune cells.

Acquired Immunity

Immunity gained after exposure to an antigen, involving the adaptive immune response.

Antigen

A substance that induces an immune response, often a part of a pathogen.

Antibody

A protein produced by B-cells that binds to specific antigens.

T-cell vs. B-cell

T-cells are involved in cell-mediated immunity, while B-cells produce antibodies.

Vaccine

A preparation used to stimulate the body's immune response against disease.

Herd Immunity

When a significant portion of a population becomes immune to a disease, providing indirect protection to others.

Aseptic Technique

A procedure performed to minimize contamination by pathogens.

Isolation Technique

A method like streaking on an agar plate to isolate individual bacterial colonies.

Shapes of Bacteria

Bacteria can be categorized into shapes: cocci (spherical), bacillus (rod-shaped), and spirilla (spiral).

Bacterial Cell Arrangement

The specific arrangement or grouping of bacterial cells, which can vary.

Parts of a Bacterial Cell

Includes the cell wall, plasma membrane, cytoplasm, ribosomes, and genetic material.

Gram Negative vs. Gram Positive

Distinction based on cell wall structure and reaction to Gram staining.

Gram Staining

A method of staining used to classify bacteria based on the composition of their cell walls.