They contain only protein and no nucleic acids
An infectious agent composed entirely of protein is called a prion. Prions are abnormal, misfolded proteins that can induce other normal proteins to misfold, leading to neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and mad cow disease. Unlike bacteria or viruses, prions do not contain nucleic acids (DNA or RNA), making them unique in their mechanism of infection.
Prions do not contain nucleic acid. They are unique infectious proteins that can misfold and cause other proteins to misfold, leading to diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
The only known infectious agents that lack genetic material are prions. Prions are misfolded proteins that can cause other proteins to misfold and aggregate, leading to neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
No, prions aren't organisms or even organism imitators like viruses. Prions are misfolded proteins that can aggregate and cause serious neurological problems. See link below for more info about prions from Answers.com.
The only entities known to lack genetic material are certain types of prions, which are infectious proteins that can induce abnormal folding of normal cellular proteins. Unlike viruses, which contain RNA or DNA, prions do not possess any nucleic acids. They propagate by triggering misfolding in other proteins, leading to diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
An infectious agent composed entirely of protein is called a prion. Prions are abnormal, misfolded proteins that can induce other normal proteins to misfold, leading to neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and mad cow disease. Unlike bacteria or viruses, prions do not contain nucleic acids (DNA or RNA), making them unique in their mechanism of infection.
Prions do not contain nucleic acid. They are unique infectious proteins that can misfold and cause other proteins to misfold, leading to diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
The only known infectious agents that lack genetic material are prions. Prions are misfolded proteins that can cause other proteins to misfold and aggregate, leading to neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Influenza is a highly infectious disease, even when the patient is recovering (unlike many other Infectious Diseases which quit being infectious when the patient begins to recover).
PrionsA prion is an infectious protein that is misfolded. These proteins can aggregate in the brain and other neural tissue, forming amyloids. Diseases associated with prions include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease), scrapie, kuru, chronic wasting disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prions are still poorly understood by researchers, and prion diseases (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies) remain untreatable.
No, prions aren't organisms or even organism imitators like viruses. Prions are misfolded proteins that can aggregate and cause serious neurological problems. See link below for more info about prions from Answers.com.
The only entities known to lack genetic material are certain types of prions, which are infectious proteins that can induce abnormal folding of normal cellular proteins. Unlike viruses, which contain RNA or DNA, prions do not possess any nucleic acids. They propagate by triggering misfolding in other proteins, leading to diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as BSE, or Mad Cow Disease, is an exact example of a proteinaceous infectious particle, or Prion. It is an infectious molecule composed primarily of protien, unlike viruses. BSE attacks the brain, it is a neurodegenerative disease causing a break down of the brain tissue and spinal cord.
They are called Prion. This is the definition I fount at wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn: "an infectious protein particle similar to a virus but lacking nucleic acid; thought to be the agent responsible for scrapie and other degenerative diseases of the nervous system".
An "infectious disease" an agent that can be passed from one living organism to another. A non-infectious disease is a disease or other condition that cannot be spread to another organism.
Prions primarily affect the nervous system by causing misfolding of proteins, leading to neurodegenerative diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and mad cow disease. However, recent research shows that prions can also affect other cells and tissues in the body, impacting the immune system and possibly playing a role in conditions like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
PrionsA prion is an infectious protein that is misfolded. These proteins can aggregate in the brain and other neural tissue, forming amyloids. Diseases associated with prions include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease), scrapie, kuru, chronic wasting disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prions are still poorly understood by researchers, and prion diseases (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies) remain untreatable.