various types of pathogens and their descriptions
Answers
Answer:
Different types of pathogens
Bacteria. Bacteria are microscopic pathogens that reproduce rapidly after entering the body. ...
Viruses. Smaller than bacteria, a virus invades a host cell. ...
Fungi. There are thousands of species of fungi, some of which cause disease in humans. ...
Protists. ...
Parasitic worms.
Explanation:
Answer:
First, let's understand the term pathogens.
Pathogens are disease-causing microbes that enter our body and cause illnesses. They cause infectious diseases that are communicable in nature.
The five basic types of pathogens are:
✳ Bacteria:
One thing to be noted is that not all bacteria are pathogenic. Those pathogenic bacteria enter the body through various means - though food, water, physical contact, through the air etc. Once entered, they unbalance the normal means of the functioning of the body cells by rapidly dividing, rupturing cells etc. In some cases, they even release toxins that cause serious issues to the immune system.
Antibiotics help to kill of these bacteria. Vaccines are also good measures as they do not allow these bacteria to cause the diseases ever as antibodies are formed.
Examples of bacterial diseases: Tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid etc.
✳ Fungi
Here too, we must note that not all fungi are harmful. For example, mushroom is a fungus but it is consumable. Fungus infections are spread when a person is prone to a environment which is filled with the spores of these disease causing fungi. It can spread to one person to another through contact with the fungus.
It spreads in the body parts rapidly through spore formation and can cover tissues and organs in no time. Anti-fungal lotions are medicines are used to treat fungal infections.
Examples: Ring-worm, Athlete's foot etc.
✳ Viruses
All the organisms that fall under this category are pathogenic. They are neither living nor non-living. This is because they do not do the functions that are a must for living organisms when they are outside. Once, they enter a host organism, they start to show functions of living organisms.
They break open the host cell and use nutrients to multiple themselves and cause serious illnesses by destructing cells. Anti-viral medicines and vaccines are good measures but building up the immune system to fight off the viruses is the best option to cure viral diseases.
Examples: Flu, measles, AIDS etc.
✳ Protozoa
Pathogenic protozoa, penetrates the body cells and cause diseases. Usually these diseases are passed by vectors, that is, organisms that carry these microbes without getting affected by the disease themselves. Anti-parasitic medicines, hospital treatment such as therapies are required for cure. Vaccines also help in the prevention of their occurrence.
Examples: Sleeping sickness, malaria etc.