WEEK 11: 11.10 Medical Mycology & Parasitology Flashcards
(21 cards)
What does it mean by ‘fungi are heterotrophic’
they rely on external sources to obtain their nutrition
What are fungal cell walls comprised of? and how does this differ from bacteria
fungal cell walls are comprised of chitin
bacteria cell wall is made of peptidoglycan
What kind of motility and reproduction does fungi have?
they are non-motile and undergo asexual reproduction typically, but occasionally reproduce sexually
What are opportunistic pathogens?
They lack virulence to establish infection in healthy hosts, but take advantage of impaired immune systems
What are primary pathogens?
they are highly virulent and establish infection in hosts in intact immune systems
WHat cell type is fungi
eukaryotic
Define the term hyphae
branching thread like filaments that make up the body of a fungus
Define septate
Hyphae that contain cross-walls/septa
Define aseptate
Hyphae that lack cross-walls or septa
Define mycelium
the vegetative component of a fungus, consisting of an aggregated mass of hyphae
Define spore
reproductive structures produced by fungi, plants and other organisms
Define yeast
a fungi that is unicellular throughout its entire life
What is mycosis
it refers to fungal infections that can affect various parts of the body
What are fungal infections classified by?
superficial, cutaneous, subcutaneous and systemic mycoses
describe superficial mycoses
it affects top skin layers, hair shafts and nails, with rash, itching and discolouration
describe cutaneous mycoses
it affects the dermis, and results in lesions, inflammation and redness
describe subcutaneous mycoses
it affects subcutaneous tissues (deeper skin layers), and causes nodules/ulcers
Describe systemic mycoses
severe infections, often affects internal organs, occurs typically in immunocompromised individuals
What is a parasite?
an organism that resides on or within another living organism in order to find the environment and nutrients it requires for growth and reproduction
What are the advantages and disadvantages of an intracellular parasite
adv:
host supplies food
constant environment
free from predation
free transport
disadv:
may need to remodel internal env of host
needs to evade host immune response
needs an escape plan to find new host
infection can kill host
Define the terms facultative parasite VS obligate parasite
facultative: can reproduce outside of the host cell
obligate: cannot reproduce outside of the host cell
