Vocab 5,6,7

pathogen

An organism, typically a microorganism, that can cause disease in a host.

pathogenicity

The ability of a pathogen to cause disease, which is influenced by factors such as its virulence, the mode of transmission, and the host's immune response.

virulence

The degree of pathogenicity of a pathogen, typically measured by its ability to invade host tissues and produce harmful effects, including toxins or inflammatory responses.

infectivity

The ability of a pathogen to establish an infection in a host, which is determined by factors such as the number of pathogens required to cause infection, their route of entry, and the host's susceptibility.

toxigenicity

The ability of a pathogen to produce toxins that can damage host tissues and contribute to disease severity, often impacting the host's immune response and overall health.

antigenicity

The ability of a pathogen to provoke an immune response, primarily through the recognition of specific molecules (antigens) by the host's immune system, ultimately leading to the production of antibodies.

antigenic variability

The ability of a pathogen to alter its surface antigens to evade detection and neutralization by the host's immune system, thereby enhancing its survival and persistence within the host.

coinfection

The presence of two or more pathogens in a single host at the same time, which can complicate the infection process and may result in increased disease severity.

superinfection

The subsequent infection of a host already infected by a different pathogen, which can occur when the immune system is compromised or altered due to the first infection.

endotoxin

A harmful substance produced by certain bacteria that, upon release into the host's bloodstream, can trigger severe immune responses.

pyogenic

A term used to describe infections that produce pus, typically caused by certain types of bacteria.

endospores

A resistant structure formed by some bacteria that allows them to survive extreme environmental conditions.

exotoxins

Proteins secreted by certain bacteria that can cause damage to host cells and tissues.

viruses

Intracellular pathogens that can replicate only within living host cells.

virions

The complete viral particles that consist of a nucleic acid core, either DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protective protein coat.

latency

A period during which a virus remains dormant within a host cell.

mycoses

Fungal infections that can affect various tissues in the body.

communicable

Diseases that can be transmitted from one host to another.

vector

An organism, often an insect, that carries and transmits pathogens to humans or other hosts.

prodrome

An early symptom or set of symptoms that precede the onset of a disease.

septicemia

A serious systemic infection that occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream.

bacteremia

The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream.

septic shock

A life-threatening condition that arises when septicemia leads to dangerously low blood pressure.

purulent

A type of infection characterized by the production of pus.

jaundice

A medical condition characterized by a yellowing of the skin and eyes.

hemoptysis

The coughing up of blood or blood-stained mucus from the respiratory tract.

dysuria

A painful or difficult urination.

hematuria

The presence of blood in the urine.

pyuria

The presence of pus in the urine.

Hyperemic

A condition characterized by an excess of blood in a particular area.

translocation

The process by which bacteria or other pathogens move from one part of the body into the bloodstream or other tissues.

autosomes

Chromosomes that are not involved in determining the sex of an organism.

gametes

Reproductive cells that unite during sexual reproduction to form a new organism.

transcription

The process by which the genetic information in DNA is transcribed to produce a complementary RNA strand.

genomics

The branch of molecular biology concerned with the structure, function, evolution, and mapping of genomes.

genotype

The genetic constitution of an individual organism.

phenotype

The physical and observable traits of an organism.

alleles

Different versions of a gene that are found at the same locus on homologous chromosomes.

polygenic

A trait that is determined by multiple genes.

somatic mutation

A change in the DNA sequence of somatic cells.

polymorphism

The occurrence of two or more distinct forms, or alleles, within a population at a given locus.

expressivity

The degree to which a genotype is expressed in an individual's phenotype.

penetrance

The proportion of individuals with a particular genotype who exhibit the associated phenotype.

single gene trait

A trait that is determined by a single gene.

homozygous

An individual having two identical alleles for a particular gene.

heterozygous

An individual possessing two different alleles for a particular gene.

sex-linked trait

A trait that is associated with a gene located on a sex chromosome.

matrilineal

A term describing inheritance passed down through the maternal line.

hetroplasmy

The presence of more than one type of organellar DNA (mtDNA) within a cell.

karyotype

The number and appearance of chromosomes in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell.

nondisjunction

The failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate properly during cell division.

mosaicism

The presence of two or more genetically different cell lines within an individual.

monosomy

A chromosomal condition characterized by the absence of one chromosome from the pair.

trisomy

A chromosomal condition in which an individual has an extra copy of a chromosome.

genomic imprinting

A genetic phenomenon where certain genes are expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner.

epigenetic

The study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence.

congenital

A term referring to conditions that are present from birth.

organogenesis

The process by which the organs of a developing embryo form and mature.

teratogen

Any substance, organism, or physical agent that can cause malformation or abnormal development in a fetus.

aneuploidy

The presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell.

dyskinesia

A movement disorder characterized by involuntary and abnormal movements.

Hemolysis

The breakdown of red blood cells.

proliferation

The process by which cells divide and multiply.

differentiation

The process by which unspecialized cells develop into specialized cells.

stem cells

Undifferentiated cells that have the potential to develop into many different cell types.

neoplasms

Abnormal growths of tissue that result from excessive proliferation of cells.

carcinogenesis

The process by which normal cells transform into cancerous cells.

oncogene

A gene that has the potential to cause cancer when mutated or expressed at high levels.

tumor suppressor gene

A type of gene that helps prevent cancer by encoding proteins that regulate cell division.

protooncogene

A normal gene that can become an oncogene due to mutations.

carcinogen

Any substance, organism, or physical agent that is capable of causing cancer.

autonomy

The ability of cells to regulate their own growth and division independently.

anaplasia

The loss of differentiation and the return to a more primitive or undifferentiated state in cancer cells.

benign

A term used to describe tumors or growths that are not cancerous.

malignant

Tumors that are cancerous, capable of invading surrounding tissues.

local spread

The process by which cancer cells grow and invade adjacent tissues.

direct extension

The growth of cancerous cells into nearby tissues.

seeding

The dispersion of cancer cells from the primary tumor to distant sites within the body.

metastasis

The spread of cancer cells to distant parts of the body.

tropism

The tendency of cancer cells to migrate to specific organs or tissues.

teratoma

A type of tumor that contains a variety of tissue types.

carcinoma in situ

A localized abnormal cell growth that has not yet invaded surrounding tissues.

cachexia

A multifactorial syndrome characterized by severe body weight loss.

paraneoplastic syndrome

A group of symptoms that arise from substances produced by tumors.

ectopic

A term used to describe the abnormal positioning or growth of tissues.

palliative

A specialized approach to medical care that focuses on providing relief from symptoms.

occult

Referring to a disease or condition that is hidden and not immediately apparent.

frank

A term used to describe something that is straightforward and clear.

blast cell

A type of immature white blood cell that can proliferate abnormally in certain types of leukemia.