CAST OF CHARACTERS

Bacteria

• Prokaryotic• Most numerous• Most are non-infectious• Mutualistic->Commensalistic->Parasitic• Affected by antibiotics

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEwzDydciWc

Examples

• Escherichia coli• Staphylococcus – clumps of spherical bacteria• Streptococcus – strings of spherical bacteria• Bacillius – rod shaped bacteria• Vibrio cholerae• Haemophilus influenzae• Clostridium tetani, Clostridium botulinum

Viruses

• Non-cellular• Composed of DNA or RNA(retrovirus)

surrounded by a protein coat- a majority of viruses are retroviruses

• Obligate intracellular parasites• Lytic or latent• Potential to be eradicated

Examples

• Polio• Warts• Influenza• Cold • HIV• Hepatitis• measles

Fungi

• Eukaryotic• Mildly infectious• Mushrooms, molds, yeasts, rusts, smuts,

mildews

Examples

• Penicillin• Dutch elm disease• Corn smut• Wheat rust• Potato blight• Candida albicans• Aspergillus – mold in the air• Athlete’s foot

Protists

• Eukaryotic• Mainly protozoans (animal like protists) are

infectious• Typically have cilia or flagella or pseudopodia

Examples

• Malaria Plasmodium• Cryptosporidium• Chagas disease• Sleeping sickness• Amebic dysentery

Prions

• Are proteins• Acellular – contain no genetic material

Examples

• Scrapie• Kuru• Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy• Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease