Terms 1
Single-celled organisms found everywhere
Bacteria
The invasion of the body by a pathogen and the symptoms that develop in response to this invasion.
Infection
Require living hosts
Parasites
Infection restricted to a small area
Local infection
Chemical used to treat bacterial infections
Antibiotic
A living organism that harbors a pathogen and acts as a source of infection
Carrier
The smallest of the infectious agents
Viruses
An encasement that allows the organism to withstand harsh environmental conditions.
Spores
Disease producing microorganisms
Pathogens
The ability to ward off diseases
Resistance
Failure of the body to function normally
Disease
A plantlike organism such as a mushroom that grows best in dark, damp places.
Fungus
An object, living or nonliving, that transfers a pathogen from one organism to another
Vector
A single-celled animal-like microbe
Protozoa
A process that destroys all living organisms
Sterilization
Infections caused by pathogenic fungi
Mycotic Infection
Microorganisms that normally and harmoniously live in or on the human body without causing disease
Normal Flora
Parasitic protozoans that increase by sporulation and that cause many serious diseases such as malaria.
Sporozoa
A continual source of infection
Reservoir of infection
Sexual partner
Contact
Parasitic worms
Helminths
An infection that is widespread throughout the body.
Systemic Infection
A hospital inquired infection that is most often transmitted from patient to patient by direct contact.
Nosocomial Infection
Any disease that can be spread from one host to another.
Communicable Disease
The study of the occurrence and distribution of a disease in a population
Epidemiology