Host-Parasite, Infection + Disease (Lecture 1)

Question 1

What is a host?

Answer 1

A macroorganism, multicellular typically, usually a eukaryote (but could be prokaryote)

Question 2

What is a parasite?

Answer 2

It lives on/in a host, damages it, and obtains necessities for it’s life from the host

Question 3

Explain transformation.

Answer 3

Method for bacterial genetic exchange :

• ->DNA taken up by a cell
• fragment from bacterium attaches to cell wall and gets taken up intracellular incorporating itself into recipient genome

Question 4

List methods of bacterial genetic exchange

Answer 4

• transformation
• transduction
• conjugation
• transposon

Question 5

Explain transduction.

Answer 5

Method of bacterial genetic exchange.

–> DNA is transferred from cell to cell via virus (bacteriophage=virus infected bacteria)

Question 6

Explain conjugation.

Answer 6

Method of bacterial genetic exchange.

• -> DNA is transferred from cell to cell by contact
• via F(+) bacterium using its pilus

Question 7

Explain transposon.

Answer 7

Method of bacterial genetic exchange.

–> sequence of DNA that is able to move within the genome

Question 8

What is a virulence factor?

Answer 8

Molecules that are produced by pathogens (bacteria, viruses) that produce pathogenicity (ability to cause disease) of the organism