Microbe-Human Interactions: Health and Disease

These flashcards cover important vocabulary and concepts related to microbe-human interactions, health, and disease as outlined in the lecture notes.

Normal biota

Diverse microbes living on/in the body, critical to health, also known as resident or indigenous biota.

Colonization

Growth of microbes on/in the body.

Infection

Pathogenic microorganisms penetrate host defenses, enter tissues, and multiply.

Disease

Pathologic state due to damage or disruption of tissues and organs.

Infectious disease

Disease caused by microbes or their products.

Endogenous infections

Infections where resident biota opportunistically enter previously sterile sites.

Human Microbiome Project (HMP)

Worldwide research effort to characterize the microbes living on human bodies and how they differ in various diseases.

Virulence

Degree of pathogenicity of a microbe.

Pathogen

Disease-causing microbe.

Polymicrobial infections

Infections that involve contributions from more than one microbe.

Biosafety Level 1

Standard, open bench; low infection hazard; microbes not considered pathogens.

Biosafety Level 2

Moderate potential to infect; requires trained personnel and restricted access.

Biosafety Level 3

Agents can cause severe disease; requires safety cabinets and special containment features.

Biosafety Level 4

Highly virulent pathogens posing extreme risk; must have controlled access and isolation.

Portal of entry

The route a microbe takes to enter host tissues.

Adhesion

Attachment of microbes to host tissues.

Toxins

Poisonous substances produced by microbes.

Exotoxins

Secreted toxins from living bacteria, causing specific effects.

Endotoxins

Part of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, not secreted, can cause systemic effects.

Case fatality rate (CFR)

The proportion of deaths from a certain disease compared to the total number of diagnosed cases.

Communicable disease

A disease that can be transmitted from an infected host to a new host.

Herd immunity

Immunity that occurs when a significant portion of a population is immune to an infectious disease.