Viruses & Bacteriophages
These viruses specifically infect bacteria and archaea.
What are bacteriophages?
This bacterium is the most common cause of urinary tract infections.
What is Escherichia coli (E. coli)?
This protozoan causes malaria and is transmitted by mosquitoes.
What is Plasmodium?
Vaccination provides this type of immunity.
What is active artificial immunity?
This physical barrier is the body’s first line of defense against microbes.
What is the skin (and mucous membranes)?
This environment contains the highest concentration of bacteriophages.
What are water systems?
This tick-borne pathogen causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
What is Rickettsia rickettsii?
Oral thrush, caused by Candida albicans, presents with these hallmark patches.
What are white patches that can't be scraped off?
These lymphocytes mature in the thymus and are essential for cell-mediated immunity.
What are T lymphocytes (T cells)?
The stomach protects against pathogens with this acidic secretion.
What is stomach acid?
Environmental stress causes bacteriophages to shift from this dormant cycle to the active lytic cycle.
What is the lysogenic cycle?
This soil-dwelling bacterium can survive for decades and is the causative agent of anthrax.
What is Bacillus anthracis?
This dimorphic fungus causes Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis) when spores are inhaled.
What is Coccidioides?
These cells kill virus-infected cells as part of the innate immune system.
What are natural killer (NK) cells?
This enzyme in tears and saliva kills Gram-positive bacteria by breaking down cell walls.
What are lysozymes?
This biotechnology tool uses phages to display proteins and identify disease markers.
What is phage display?
This bacterium causes pseudomembranous colitis, often after antibiotic use.
What is Clostridium difficile?
These misfolded proteins can be transmitted by contaminated surgical instruments and cause neurodegenerative disease.
What are prions?
This autoimmune disorder is systemic and is abbreviated as SLE.
What is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)?
Movement of phagocytes toward a chemical signal is called this.
What is chemotaxis?
The Variola virus is responsible for this eradicated disease.
What is smallpox?
This periodontal bacterium is linked to both gum disease and cardiovascular disease.
What is Porphyromonas gingivalis?
The gold standard test for diagnosing Trichomonas vaginalis infection.
What is microscopy?
This type of vaccine uses weakened but live pathogens, like the MMR vaccine.
What is a live attenuated vaccine?
Fusion of a phagosome with this organelle creates a phagolysosome for pathogen destruction.
What is a lysosome?