31 Questions
What is the definition of infection?
Presence of an organism in or on any body cell, tissue, organ, or system resulting in disease
What is the meaning of tropism in the context of diseases?
Predilection to infect certain cells, tissues, organs, or systems
What is the distinction between colonization and infection?
Colonization is clinically unapparent while infection results in disease
What is the definition of a reservoir in the context of infectious diseases?
One or more epidemiologically connected populations or environments maintaining the pathogen permanently
What is the definition of viremia?
The presence of virions in the blood
Which term refers to the capacity of a virus to enter and cause damage to a tissue?
Invasiveness
What does the term 'attenuation' refer to?
Loss of virulence
What does 'latent infection' refer to?
Persistent infection characterized by the presence of an intact viral genome
What concept does 'oncogenesis' relate to?
Process through which healthy cells become transformed into cancer cells
What is 'persistent (chronic) infection' characterized by?
Failure of the host to clear the infection (usually following an acute stage)
What does 'productive infection' lead to?
Viral infection that leads to the production of progeny virions
What is 'viral set point' in relation to viral infections?
The viral load that the body settles at within a few weeks to months after infection
What is 'smoldering infection' characterized by?
Low-level viral replication despite an efficient immune response
What does 'virulence factor' refer to?
A nonessential gene which, when expressed, increases the virulence of an organism
What is the meaning of 'transforming infection'?
Viral infection that leads to host cell immortalization (cell transformation)
What does 'cytopathic effect' relate to?
Morphologic change brought to the cell as a consequence of viral infection
What is the main difference between colonization and infection?
Colonization always leads to disease, while infection may or may not lead to disease.
What is the definition of tropism in the context of diseases?
Tropism is the predilection to infect certain cells, tissues, organs, or systems.
What does the term 'vector' refer to in the context of infectious diseases?
Vector is an agent that transmits a disease organism from one host to another.
What constitutes a reservoir in the context of infectious diseases?
Reservoir is one or more epidemiologically connected populations or environments in which the pathogen can be permanently maintained and from which infection is transmitted.
What does the term 'quasispecies' refer to?
Mixture of viruses present in a host at one time that are derived from the common ancestral virus that first infected the host
What is 'invasiveness' in the context of viruses?
The capacity of a virus to enter and cause damage to a tissue
What is the meaning of 'persistent (chronic) infection'?
Failure of the host to clear the infection (usually following an acute stage)
What is 'latent infection' characterized by?
Persistent infection characterized by the presence of an intact viral genome, little or no macromolecule synthesis, and the potential to reactivate and generate virion progeny
What does 'abortive (nonproductive) infection' refer to?
Viral infection that does not lead to the production of progeny virions
What is 'virulence' in the context of organisms?
An organism’s relative capacity to cause disease
What is 'viral set point' in relation to viral infections?
The viral load that the body settles at within a few weeks to months after infection
What is 'cytopathic effect' in the context of viral infections?
Morphologic change brought to the cell as a consequence of viral infection
What is 'virus restriction'?
Mutational load that leads to viral genome degradation
What does 'transforming infection' refer to?
Viral infection that leads to host cell immortalization (cell transformation)
What is 'smoldering infection' characterized by?
Low-level viral replication despite an efficient immune response
Test your knowledge of medical terminology with this quiz on the definitions of disease and infection. Explore the meanings of key terms related to deviations from normal body structure and the presence of organisms in the body.
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