BIOL 1344 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Complement Membrane Attack Complex, Bone Marrow, Cell-Mediated Immunity
Document Summary
Infectious agents: pathogenic cause damage or possible death to the host organism they invade, 5 categories. Bacteria: single-celled organisms, 1-2 um, enclosed by a plasma membrane and cell wall, prokaryotic cells, cocci spherical, bacilli rodlike, coiled spirilla, some cause disease, most do not. Some have increase virulence ability to cause serious illness because of an external, sticky polysaccharide capsule. Some cause disease by releasing enzymes or toxins that interfere with cellular. Fungi: eukaryotic cells, have a cell wall external to plasma membrane, molds, yeasts, multicellular fungi that produce spores, release proteolytic enzymes that cause inflammation/redness/swelling. Infections are usually limited to superficial infections of the skin, scalp, nails: some infections occur in the mucosal linings or cause fungal infections. Protozoans: eukaryotic cells, no cell wall. Multicellular parasites: larger than a cm in size, reside within a host for nutrients. Prions: small fragments of infectious proteins, cause disease in nervous tissue. Leukocytes: formed in the red bone marrow.