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A pathogen (Greek pathos (suffering/emotion) and gene (to give birth to)) or infectious agent is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host.[1] The term is most often used for agents that disrupt the normal physiology of a multicellular animal or plant. However, pathogens can infect unicellular organisms from all of the biological kingdoms. The term pathogen is derived from the Greek παθογένεια, "that which produces suffering." There are several substrates and pathways where by pathogens can invade a host; the principal pathways have different episodic time frames, but soil contamination has the longest or most persistent potential for harboring a pathogen. The body contains many natural defenses against some of the common pathogens (such as Pneumocystis) in the form of the human immune system and by some "helpful" bacteria present in the human body's normal flora. However, if the immune system or "good" bacteria is damaged in any way (such as by chemotherapy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or antibiotics being taken to kill other pathogens), pathogenic bacteria that were being held at bay can proliferate and cause harm to the host. Such cases are called opportunistic infections. Some pathogens (such as the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which may have caused the Black Plague, the Variola virus, and the malaria protozoa) have been responsible for massive numbers of casualties and have had numerous effects on afflicted groups. Of particular note in modern times is HIV, which is known to have infected several million humans globally, along with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Influenza virus. Today, while many medical advances have been made to safeguard against infection by pathogens, through the use of vaccination, antibiotics, and fungicide, pathogens continue to threaten human life. Social advances such as food safety, hygiene, and water treatment have reduced the threat from some pathogens.
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What are the three major types of sysmbiosis?
The three major types of symbiosis are mutualism, where both organisms benefit, commensalism, where one organism benefits while the other is unaffected, and parasitism, where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.
What are the three types of symbiotic relationships?
Mutualism-Both organisms benefitCommensalism-One organism benefits, and the other is not affected in any manner.Parasitism-One organism benefits, and the other is harmed.
What are two types of asexual reporduction?
Two types of asexual reproduction are binary fission, where a single organism splits into two identical organisms, and budding, where a new organism grows out of the parent organism.
Which classification category contains the greatest number of different types of organism?
The classification category with the greatest number of different types of organisms is the "domain." There are three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, which encompass a wide variety of organisms.
What are the three types of metabolism?
The three types of metabolism are anabolism, catabolism, and intermediary metabolism. Anabolism refers to the building up of molecules and substances for growth and repair. Catabolism involves the breakdown of molecules to release energy. Intermediary metabolism encompasses all the metabolic reactions that occur within an organism.
What are the three things that mutation can cause?
A change in the DNA can cause three types of changes: a beneficial change (organism does better than others), a deadly change (kills the organism) or a neutral change (not better/not deadly).
What cause fungal infection of the skin?
Three types of fungus are involved in most skin infections: Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, and Microsporum
What are three types of interactions of organism interactions?
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Which microbes could cause infection?
There are several types of microbes that could cause infection and they may be acute chronic or latent infections. A microbe that could cause an acute infection is rhinovirus, one that could cause a chronic infection is hepatitis C and one that could cause a latent infection is herpes zoster.
What are the three major types of sysmbiosis?
The three major types of symbiosis are mutualism, where both organisms benefit, commensalism, where one organism benefits while the other is unaffected, and parasitism, where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.
How many types of bacteria can cause a common cold?
None. The common cold is a viral infection.
What are three types of symbiotic relationships?
Mutualism-Both organisms benefit Commensalism-One organism benefits, and the other does not benefit or get harmed Parasitism-One organism benefits, and the other is harmed.
What are the three types of asexual reproduction organism?
the terrain, soil, living conditions must exist.
What are the three types of symbiotic relationships?
Mutualism-Both organisms benefitCommensalism-One organism benefits, and the other is not affected in any manner.Parasitism-One organism benefits, and the other is harmed.
What can ecoli do to your body?
it is in the intestines and can help digest food, but some types can get into your blood stream and cause an infection.
Does most bacteria cause disease?
yes nearly all out of the 5839 different types of bacteria causes a very harmful disease that has the symptoms of vomiting head ache runny nose light headed feeling diarrhoea bladder infection eye infection and in serious cases you may become paralyzed
Is pathogenic bacteria capable of causing infection?
Bacteria can be pathogens, but there are also many other types of pathogens. Bacteria are specific types of single celled organisms. Some bacteria cause disease, some do not. There are also lots of other types of organisms which can cause disease. These include, viruses, fungi, protozoa, yeast. Any organism that can cause disease is called a pathogen. (And yes, there is some debate about whether a virus is an organism. If it is not an organism then it would be classified as a toxin rather than a pathogen.)
