45 Questions
What is the primary characteristic of a parasite?
Metabolic dependence on a host
Which type of pathogen is part of the normal flora and causes disease when it gains access to other tissue sites?
Opportunistic pathogen
What is the term for the chain of events required for a successful infection?
Chain of infection
What is the natural environmental location where a pathogen normally resides?
Reservoir
What is the term for the ability of a parasite to cause disease?
Pathogenicity
What is the term for an infection passed from an animal to a human?
Zoonosis
What is the minimum requirement for a pathogen to cause a disease?
Contact with a host and survive within it
What is the term for the primary parasitic organism that causes disease by direct interaction with a healthy host?
Frank pathogen
Which of the following is NOT a source of pathogens?
A healthy host's immune system
What is the primary function of virulence factors in pathogens?
To outcompete host cells and resist their defenses
What is the term for the specific substance produced by microbes that damages host cells?
Toxin
What is the period of time during which the pathogen is present in the host, but no signs or symptoms are apparent?
Incubation period
What is the term for the set of characteristic signs and symptoms of a disease?
Disease syndrome
What is the primary goal of microorganisms in order to survive?
To outcompete host cells and resist their defenses
What is the term for the condition caused by the presence of toxins in the blood of the host?
Toxemia
What is the term for the ability of microbes to produce toxins?
Toxigenicity
What is the stage of the infectious disease during which the signs and symptoms are most severe?
Period of illness
What is the term for the diseases that result from the entry of a specific preformed toxin into the host?
Intoxications
What is the primary function of adhesins in the disease process?
To mediate adherence of pathogens to host cells
Which of the following is a characteristic of pathogenicity islands?
They contain several open reading frames
What is the term for the presence of viable bacteria in the blood?
Bacteremia
What is the first step in the disease process?
Adherence and colonization
Which of the following bacteria is non-invasive?
Clostridium tetani
What is the term for the ability of a pathogen to survive outside the host?
Infectivity
Which of the following is an example of passive penetration?
Skin lesions
What is the purpose of virulence factors?
To determine the degree of pathogenicity
What is the term for the degree of pathogenicity?
Virulence
What is the characteristic of exotoxins that makes them highly effective in causing harm?
They are highly immunogenic
What is the primary function of the B subunit in AB exotoxins?
Binding to specific target cells
What is the result of superantigens stimulating T cells?
T cells overexpress and release cytokines
What is the characteristic of endotoxins that makes them different from exotoxins?
They are part of the bacterial cell wall
What is the toxic component of endotoxins?
Lipid A
What is the effect of mycotoxins on food crops?
They contaminate food crops
What is the effect of fibrinolysis on the host?
It leads to decreased blood clotting
What is the result of endotoxins causing general system effects?
All of the above
What is the function of the lipid portion of endotoxins?
It is responsible for the toxic effect of endotoxins
Which type of toxin is produced by Stachybotrys?
Satratoxin
What is the effect of biofilm growth on microbial cells?
Increased resistance to host defense
Which of the following mechanisms is used by pathogens to resist host defenses?
Production of substances that resemble host tissue
What is the characteristic of pathogens that are transmitted through vectors?
Relatively benign in vectors but highly virulent in humans
What is the term for the ability of a pathogen to make contact with appropriate host tissue?
Tropism
What is the characteristic of airborne transmission?
Pathogens are suspended in air and travel ≥1 meter
What is the term for the spread of pathogens through large particles (>5 μm) that travel short distances?
Droplet spread
What is the effect of biofilm growth on the immune system?
Impaired immune response
What is the mechanism used by some pathogens to survive inside host cells?
Ejection from cell to cell using host actin
Test your knowledge on pathogenicity and infection, including the roles of hosts and parasites, and the differences between infection and infectious disease. Explore the concepts of pathogens, infection, and pathogenicity in this microbiology quiz.
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