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How pathogens cause disease and damage tissues

Infection and response • Communicable diseases

Key concepts

What you'll likely be quizzed about

  • Pathogens transmit communicable diseases from one organism to another, then reproduce inside the host.
  • Their life cycle includes entry into a host, multiplication, damaging the host, and transmission to new hosts.
  • Many pathogens can survive briefly outside a host but require living cells for reproduction.
  • Certain characteristics, such as ease of airborne transmission, affect how quickly an infection spreads.
  • High infectivity and rapid reproduction increase the likelihood of transmission before the immune system can intervene.

Flashcards

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What is the difference between reproduction and replication in pathogens?

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Reproduction refers to producing new organisms (like bacteria through binary fission); replication is the viral production inside host cells.

Key notes

Important points to keep in mind

Pathogens infect, multiply, damage tissues, and spread to new hosts.

Bacteria reproduce by binary fission; short doubling times enable rapid population growth.

Viruses replicate only inside host cells, using the cell’s machinery and causing cell damage.

Bacterial toxins are chemicals that damage cells or disrupt body systems; antitoxins neutralize them.

Limiting factors for microbial growth include temperature, nutrients, oxygen, and host immune responses.

Antibiotics target bacteria, not viruses; misuse of antibiotics selects for resistant strains.

Transmission routes influence outbreak speed: airborne and contaminated water spread infections quickly.

Replication inside cells explains why antiviral strategies target viral entry, replication, or release steps.

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