BIOS 350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Metronidazole, Toxoplasma Gondii, Vaginal Discharge
Document Summary
32. 1 medically important fungi and disease mechanisms: only about 50 fungal species cause disease. Fungi can be yeast or mold (figure 32. 1) Fungi cause disease through three major mechanisms: allergic responses to fungi, mycotoxins (e. g. , aflatoxins; figure 32. 2) Fungi colonize the hair, skin, or nails and infect only the surface layers. Fungi colonize deeper layers of skin: different group of fungi. Systemic mycoses (figure 32. 5: humans become infected by inhaling spores. Fungal growth in internal organs of the body: histoplasmosis caused by histoplasma capsulatum. Fungal infections can be especially serious in individuals with an impaired immune system (e. g. , aids patients) or those taking immunosuppressive drugs. Entamoeba histolytica (figure 32. 6a: a pathogenic protist transmitted to humans primarily through contaminated water and sometimes food, anaerobic and produces resistant cysts. Infection can be asymptomatic or lead to diarrhea and/or dysentery. If untreated, invasive cells can invade the liver and occasionally the lungs and brain.
