Diseases

• Define diseases.

  Any physiological abnormality or significant disruption to the "normal" health of an organism.
• Define infectious diseases.

  Caused by another organism or organic agent and can be passed from one individual to another directly or indirectly.
• Define non-infectious diseases.

  Cannot be spread and are caused by malfunctioning of the body, inherited condition, environmental conditions, and nutrition.
• What is a pathogen?

  An agent that causes disease, either a organism or an organic agent.
• What are the main prions?

  Proteins that cause a group of rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases and are able to rearrange normal proteins to become abnormal.
• What are viruses?

  Considered non-living, reproduce by parasitising to a host cell, consist of a length of genetic material surrounded by a protein coat.
• What are fungi?

  Eukaryotic heterotrophs composed of filaments called hyphae which fungi use to penetrate host cells.
• What are protozoa?

  Heterotrophs that are unicellular eukaryotes categorized by their locomotion.
• What are parasites?

  Animals that require a host for part of their life cycle.
• What are the main pathogens?

  Prions, viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, parasites.
• What are adherence factors?

  Proteins that allow pathogens to stick to the membrane.
• What are invasion factors?

  Proteins that allow pathogens to enter host cells.
• What are capsules?

  Immune system blockers.
• What are toxins?

  Proteins that poison host cells.
• What are lifecycle changes?

  Used by some pathogens to help them colonise their host by changing appearance.
• What are the modes of transport for diseases?

  Direct contact, contact with bodily fluids, contaminated food and water, and disease specific vectors.
• What is bacteria?

  Prokaryote + unicellular, have a single circular strand of DNA and small segments of DNA called plasmids.