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The smallest and simplest disease-causing organisms are generally considered to be viruses. Viruses are microscopic infectious agents that can cause a wide range of diseases in various organisms, including humans, animals, and even plants.

Viruses are not classified as living organisms because they lack the ability to replicate on their own. They require a host cell to reproduce and carry out their life cycle. The structure of a virus consists of genetic material, which can be either DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid. Some viruses also have an outer envelope derived from the host cell.

Due to their small size, viruses are not visible under an ordinary light microscope and require more powerful tools such as electron microscopes to be observed. The size of viruses varies, but they are generally smaller than bacteria and other microorganisms. For example, the diameter of the influenza virus is approximately 80-120 nanometers, while the measles virus is around 100-200 nanometers.

Despite their simplicity, viruses can cause a wide range of diseases, including the common cold, influenza, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, COVID-19, and many others. The impact of viral diseases on human health and global public health cannot be underestimated.

It's important to note that while viruses are small and relatively simple, other microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and parasites can also cause diseases, and their complexity varies depending on the specific organism.

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premierperiodonticsp...

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9mo ago
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Wiki User

11y ago

Viruses are the smallest and simplest life form known. They are 10 to 100 times smaller than bacteria.

The biggest difference between viruses and bacteria is that viruses must have a living host

+ Viruses are in dispute whether they are living or non-living

so You can go with bacteria but actually VIRUS

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Wiki User

7y ago
The smallest microorganism that causes disease is a prion. It is called an infectious particle. It appears to be a misfolded protein. It contains NO DNA or RNA. It causes "mad cow disease" and Creutz-Jakob disease plus scrapie in sheep and kuru in humans. None are curable and are always fatal.
The smallest cellular microorganism that causes disease is a rickettsia. They are similar in size to the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells and both have very similar processes for ATP production. Rickettsia are probably the closest relative (in a phylogenetic sense) to the mitochondria.
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10y ago

Prokaryotic Cells are the smallest cells present such as bacteria. Many harmful bacteria can cause infenction.

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Wiki User

13y ago

that might be a prion.

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Q: What is the smallest and simplest disease causing organisms?
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