NUR 5010: Infectious Agents (M08)

Bacteria

Protozoa

Prion

Virus

Worms (Helminths)

Fungus

This type of invader hijacks a host cell’s machinery to replicate. Unaffected by antibiotics.

This pathogen is single-celled, motile, and often transmitted via contaminated water.

This pathogen has a nucleus, forms spores, and can infect the skin, lungs, or bloodstream.

This misfolded protein causes brain degeneration and lacks genetic material.

This invader is multicellular, visible to the naked eye, and may live in the intestines or tissues.

This microbe lacks a nucleus and reproduces rapidly by binary fission.

Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms that replicate independently through binary fission and do not contain a nucleus.

Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that reproduce via spores and can cause infections such as athlete’s foot or systemic mycoses.

Worms such as roundworms or tapeworms are parasitic and can be seen without a microscope.

Prions are infectious proteins that cause spongiform encephalopathies like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Protozoa are single-celled eukaryotes that move using flagella, cilia, or pseudopods, and can cause diseases like giardiasis or malaria.

Viruses are acellular and rely entirely on the host cell’s machinery to reproduce, often destroying the host cell in the process. Antibiotics target bacterial structures or processes, which viruses do not have, making antibiotics ineffective.

Worms (Helminths)

Protozoa

Virus

Fungus

Prion

Bacteria

This invader is non-living and consists only of genetic material surrounded by a protein coat.

This invader can reproduce sexually or asexually and has complex life cycles often involving multiple hosts.

This type of invader can cause anemia, malnutrition, or intestinal blockage.

This organism is eukaryotic, has chitin in its cell wall, and can cause respiratory infections.

This type of organism can be part of the normal microbiota but becomes harmful in certain conditions. May be identified by Gram staining.

This invader is linked to conditions such as mad cow disease and cannot be destroyed by normal sterilization.

These outcomes are common effects of parasitic worm infections in humans.

Viruses are not considered living because they cannot reproduce or carry out metabolism outside a host cell.

Fungi have chitinous cell walls and can cause illnesses like histoplasmosis when inhaled.

Protozoa like Plasmodium (malaria) have intricate life cycles and can switch between hosts during different stages.

Many bacteria are beneficial or harmless but can cause opportunistic infections when the immune system is compromised. Gram staining is a lab technique that distinguishes bacteria based on the structure of their cell walls (Gram-positive or Gram-negative).

Prions are extremely resistant to heat and disinfectants, requiring specialized procedures for decontamination.