The nature of DISEASE CAUSING ORGANISMS and the mechanisms employed by man to combat these organisms.
What is disease? A disease is a disturbance in the normal structure or function of an organism, group of organisms or the entire body. Diseases affect different organisms in different ways, they may be temporary, they may be chronic, or they may be terminal. They may even be localized or widespread through an entire body. Many diseases have been eradicated, but, some have no cure. Humans and other vertebrates have a system of specific immunity to combat disease. Some disease causing organisms invade body tissues and then destroy them, while others setup a symbiotic relationship with the cells. Most communicable diseases are caused by microorganisms or larger parasites that are commonly called germs, most scientists call them pathogens.
What kinds of disease are there, that are caused by organisms?
-Infectious disease- caused by living organisms, can be passed by contact.
-Viral disease- caused by viruses, difficult to treat because viruses are non-living
-Fungal disease- usually cause mild infections, difficult to treat
-Protozoan disease- the "tropical diseases" caused by protozoa
-Worm infections- mostly in the tropics, worms inside body causing damage
-Diseases can be caused by a wide variety of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans, and parasitic worms. Some sferre some disease causing organisms, and how do they affect plants? Plant diseases can be caused by microorganisms, parasitic flowering plants, nematodes, viruses, or adverse environmental conditions. Bacterial diseases are marked by symptoms such as soft rot, leaf spot, wilt of leaves and roots, cankers, leaf and twig blight, and gall formation. Most plant diseases are caused by fungi. Fungal diseases have been documented on since biblical times. Fungal diseases are characterized by leaf spots, ulcerous lesions, blights, powdery mildew, cankers, root rots, wilts, and club root. Viral diseases are infectious and spread largely by insects. All economic plants suffer from one or more viral diseases. Symptoms include mosaic patterns, yellowing of foliage, vein clearing, ring spots, stunting and premature death, malformations and overgrowth. Nematodes, or roundworms, are a large cause of disease in plants. They live in and cause damage to the roots, stems, leaves, and bulbs of plants.
Jennifer Ackerman's main focus in her article The Ultimate Social Network, is that of the functions concerning bacteria within humans. Although scientists have had presumptions about humans being proficient in governing their body’s innermost structure, they soon come to recognize the sophistication of our inner space which holds an extensive plethora of bacteria and other microorganisms that lie within each and every one of us. Moreover, scientists' new and emerging view of how the human body operates, and the cause of increasing present-day diseases (i.e. obesity and different autoimmune disorders) are uncovered by analyzing effects of certain microbe species in our bodies. By italicizing on points such as the above, in conjunction with bacteria's genetic variations, and modern computing technology, the author proves that scientists are quickly progressing with the characterization the most prevalent species of microbes, which, in her opinion, is definitely paying off.
There are many reasons that disease is a necessary part of an ecosystem. First, and most obvious, is the fact that it is one of nature’s natural checks. This means that nature, in an attempt to control population and insure a balanced ecosystem, constantly checks itself. Disease is an integral part of these checks, as it cuts down
A pathogen can be anything that causes a disease, including bacterium which causes meningitis, Viruses causing hepatitis A-C, and a fungus that cause athlete's foot. Plant pathology bacteria can serve economically damaging diseases, from spots, pustules on leaves and fruit, tuber rots to a plant's death. Some bacteria causes a hormone base distortion of leaves and shoots called fasciation. Fungi pathogens spread through plants to steal nutrients of living plants and carry out the part of the life cycle in soil. Mycorrhizae fungi make carbohydrates from plant roots, enhancing plant uptake of inorganic nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Cripps, C.L reported on mycorrhizae that “ The relationship is considered nonpathogenic, and of benefit to the plants involved.”- describing that the relationship between mycorrhizae and pathogens is nonpathogenic because mycorrhizae cancels out the disease. Over 85% of plants in nature have the mycorrhizae condition to keep pathogens away. This is why gardeners buy mycorrhizae fungi to help stop diseases of plants and for the safety of humans catching the disease through eating the plants. Food is one of the most important factors in the ecology life cycle and mycorrhizae makes it safe for these plants to take part in the
Dr. Sharon Moalem and Jonathan Prince’s book, Survival of the Sickest, points out the fact that diseases do not always need to be cured infact beneficial mutations is how we evolve. Although the book mainly discusses how diseases evolve humans, Moalem and Prince do discuss how we, humans shape diseases. By the simple acts of getting and giving mosquito netting, one forces the malaria virus to find a new perhaps less malicious path to survival and reproduction one that may not cure the malaria virus but may make not fatal, similar to the common
Beneson, Abram. Control of Communicable Diseases in Man. New York: The American Public Health Association, 1970.
Thomas disccuseed thr “paranoid delusions on a societal scale,” that we have against human diseases or our “enemies.” The book contiuniuously uses anaphora by saying that diseases result from “inconclusive negoitions for symbiosis” and misinterpretation of biology” The fact that bacteria can only be harmful from practiacally harming themselves is an interesting point to point out. That shows the reader that the only way they could be harmed from bacteria, wouls be if the bacteria had gotten itself “sick” first. Thomas talks about certain microorganisms that have “advantages in their ability to affect himan beinhg, but that there is nothing to be gained, in an evolutionary sense, by the capacity to caue illness or death.” Another reassuraing statement for readers is when he says, pathogenicy is a disadvantage for most microbes because they are carrying
In her book, Dorothy Crawford gives biographies of the history of microbes which have brought humans diseases on a large scale. These include epidemics like yellow fever, tuberculosis, smallpox, acute respiratory syndrome, bubonic plague, syphilis HIV, the Black Death, malaria and cholera. It is worth to point out that her work is up to date because most of these microbes are still with us in this era. Crawford uses the historical bibliography of humans experience with microbes to show a fact that microbes shaped our culture through infection, disease, and pandemic. At the same time, the ever changing human culture has also largely influenced the evolutionary nature of microbes.
Others include defenses, genes, and design compromises. Some health practitioners treat symptoms without consideration of evolution. This is dangerous both to the individual and to society as a whole. If a fever is viewed as a highly evolved bodily defense, then the decision to treat that fever takes on a new level of consideration. If iron deficiency is a defense to chronic infection, should a supplement be prescribed? If the defense threatens the well being of the patient, then treatment is necessary. If the defense presents discomfort, but is fighting the pathogen, treatment may present the greater danger. On a societal scale, failure to consider evolution combined with over prescription of antibiotics to treat bodily defenses has lead to “superbugs” resistant to
As you exit the bus, another passenger next to you starts to cough, and then you hold the handrail as you exit the bus. Since you’re late getting home, you take a shortcut through a field to get home quicker. These three simple acts just exposed you to bacteria, viruses, and insects that could cause illness or even death. Infectious diseases, also known as communicable disease, are spread by germs. Germs are living things that are found in the air, in the soil, and in water. You can be exposed to germs in many ways, including touching, eating, drinking or breathing something that contains a germ. Animal and insect bites can also spread germs.1
Slack, John M. and I. S. Snyder. Bacteria and Human Disease. Chicago: Year Book Medical Publishers, Inc., 1978.
Pathogens are organisms that are capable of causing diseases in other organisms and are considered to be ubiquitous. They can be found in water, on surfaces, and on or in humans, plants, and animals. Different pathogens have different signs and symptoms, treatment options, ways of transmission, diagnoses, and prognoses. Chickenpox, also known as varicella, and shingles are diseases caused by the same pathogen and have many of the same characteristics, but are also unique in their own ways.
Illness has been a major part of humankind’s lives almost since the beginning of time. Throughout history, illnesses caused fatal epidemics that caused deaths between young and old, and brought fear upon all for the absence of a cure. Having an illness throughout most of history was considered an inevitable death sentence, as the majority of causes of death (Offit). Vaccinations have been experimented in China and Turkey in the 15th century, with methods such as inhaling or rubbing grounded up smallpox scabs against open cuts (Clem). Then in 1700s, the first form of modern vaccination was invented by Edward Jenner with the cowpox virus acting against smallpox, giving immunity against it (Offit).
our everyday lives bacteria is constantly surrounding us, some of the bacterium that we encounter are beneficial to us but then there are the ones that are severely detrimental to our health. The way that they effect a persons body can differ from person to person. Many of the “microscopic foes” are very resilient and have a very fast reproduction rate. Not only do they reproduce quickly they sometimes seem to outsmart our immune system and not allow our bodies to fight the infection making it almost impossible to stop them. One thing that a lot if people rely on is the assistance of prescription drugs to get them better but even the drugs are not being effective and we can’t stop the pathogens from invading our personal places such as work, home, school, or anywhere. Even though modern medicine is advancing the pathogens could still get the get the best of us. The scary thing is we never know when the next pandemic or epidemic is going to arise. All it needs is some ordinary microbe to swap genes with a deadly germ to produce a “super pathogen” and it could happen to anyone, anywhere, as it did to Jeannie Brown who is from “our neck of the woods”.
There are many serious health problems and diseases going on around the world right now. Several examples that we can give are: AIDS, HIVS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Many treatments are medicines were used to treat all these kinds of diseases, but then, many kinds of drug resistances slowly appeared.
The occurrence of infectious disease and epidemics has speckled the history of humanity since the first civilization established itself. Considering that a large population can help to foster infectious diseases, and humans share almost 300 communicable agents with animals, the outbreak of epidemics is inextricably intertwined with revol...