Types of pathogens

What are the 4 types of pathogens ?

• Fungi

• Viruses

• Bacteria

• Protists

Bacteria

• Prokaryotic

• No membrane bound organelles

• Only a few are pathogenic

• Millions of different types

What are the different shape of bacteria ?

Bacilli ( rod - shaped )

Cocci ( spherical )

Spirilli ( spiral - shaped )

Viruses

Range from. 0.02 - 0.3 um

Contain genetic material with a few proteins

Invade living cells / hijack cellular machinery

Reproduce + mutate very rapidly

Non - living

What are the different shapes of viruses ?

• Bacteriophage

• Tobacco Mosaic Virus

• Adenoviruses

• Influenza Virus

Protoctista

• Eukaryotic cell

• Can be single celled or small clusters

• Very small percentage act as pathogen

• These’re parasitics

• Often need vectors to facilitate transmission

What is a vector ?

Something that carries a pathogen , but is not affected by the pathogen

Fungi

• don’t cause many issues in animals , but can devastate plant

• Often multicellular

• Digest food extracellularly and absorb nutrients

• Reproduces through spore production

What is the difference between a fungi cell and plant cell

They both contain a cell wall

→ Fungal cell wall contain chitin instead of cellulose

Pathogens cause damages through a few key ways

Viruses

→ viruses hijack cellular machinery, preventing production of key components

→ viruses will destroy cell as they break out to find new cells to infect

Fungi

→ Digest + destroy living cells , causing damages and even death

→ prevent photosynthesis from happening and drain plants of vital minerals

Bacteria

→ bacteria + some fungi can produce toxins that damage host cells

Protoctista

→ used up cell components and materials to fuel their own growth