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Q: What does prions have to do with mad cow disease?
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What is the pathogen that causes Mad Cow Disease?

A prion, or misfolded protein caused by genetic mutation.


Evidence that prions were responsible for mad cow disease?

At one time, cattle were fed the unwanted parts of ground up sheep. Some of those cows became infected with mad cow disease. Mad cow disease spread to humans. Cattle were also fed parts of ground up cow parts, cows eating ground up cattle were infected with that disease. The breakthrough came in New Guinea. There, women and children would eat the brains of dead people. Men would not. Women and children would catch a disease similar to mad cow disease. Men would not. That made it obvious that the disease came from something common to women and children and not to men. Since they behaved the same as nearby groups except for eating the brains of dead people, that had to be the difference. The only difference in the brains of the dead people with mad cow disease and those without mad cow disease was the prions. This was then tested in England where mad cow disease was common. The only difference between cows with mad cow disease and those without mad cow disease were the same prions. The people with mad cow disease had the same prions in their brains.


What are ineffective proteins known as?

They are known as prions and cause many diseases such as Mad Cow Disease and Creutzfelt-Jacob disease.


What is a disease in cattle associated with prions?

One disease of cattle caused by a prion is BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) aka Mad Cow Disease


How do cows get mad cow disease?

Mad cow disease happens when the proteins in the brain of cow become misfolded. This is called prion. In simple words all proteins have to be folded before they can function and when some proteins in the brain become misfolded, such a state is called prions (misfolding of proteins) and it results in mad cow disease.

Related questions

What is the likely causative microorganism in mad cow disease?

Prions.


Can mad cow disease by identified by a gram stain?

Mad Cow Disease cannot be identified by a gram stain. Mad Cow Disease is caused by prions, incorrectly folded proteins. Gram staining is a way to separate bacteria into two groups - positive and negative - and cannot be used to identify prions, since prions are not bacteria.


What is the causes mad cow disease?

infectious proteins called prions


What is the pathogen that causes Mad Cow Disease?

A prion, or misfolded protein caused by genetic mutation.


Can you catch mad cow disease from person to person?

Yes, that is precisely how you contract mad cow.


Can you build up a resistance to mad cow disease?

No. Mad Cow Disease is caused by prions, or misfolded proteins, not bacteria or viruses. Your immune system cannot nor have any means of fighting these prions because they are not recognized by the immune system as a threat.


Evidence that prions were responsible for mad cow disease?

At one time, cattle were fed the unwanted parts of ground up sheep. Some of those cows became infected with mad cow disease. Mad cow disease spread to humans. Cattle were also fed parts of ground up cow parts, cows eating ground up cattle were infected with that disease. The breakthrough came in New Guinea. There, women and children would eat the brains of dead people. Men would not. Women and children would catch a disease similar to mad cow disease. Men would not. That made it obvious that the disease came from something common to women and children and not to men. Since they behaved the same as nearby groups except for eating the brains of dead people, that had to be the difference. The only difference in the brains of the dead people with mad cow disease and those without mad cow disease was the prions. This was then tested in England where mad cow disease was common. The only difference between cows with mad cow disease and those without mad cow disease were the same prions. The people with mad cow disease had the same prions in their brains.


What are ineffective proteins known as?

They are known as prions and cause many diseases such as Mad Cow Disease and Creutzfelt-Jacob disease.


Is mad cow disease caused by microbes?

No. They're caused by prions, which are FAR tinier than microbes.


What are the names of the bad proteins?

The infectious proteins (not made by you) are called prions. An example of this is the mad cow disease.


What is a disease in cattle associated with prions?

One disease of cattle caused by a prion is BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) aka Mad Cow Disease


How do cows get mad cow disease?

Mad cow disease happens when the proteins in the brain of cow become misfolded. This is called prion. In simple words all proteins have to be folded before they can function and when some proteins in the brain become misfolded, such a state is called prions (misfolding of proteins) and it results in mad cow disease.