Term | Definition |
Microbiology | a science that studies extremely small forms of life (such as bacteria and viruses) |
Viruses | an extremely small living thing that causes a disease and that spreads from one person or animal to another |
Bacteria | microscopic living organisms, usually one-celled, that can be found everywhere. They can be dangerous, such as when they cause infection, or beneficial, as in the process of fermentation (such as in wine) and that of decomposition |
Fungi | any one of a group of related plants (such as molds, mushrooms, or yeasts) that have no flowers and that live on dead or decaying things |
Protozoa | any of a large group of one-celled organisms (called protists) that live in water or as parasites |
Algae | a simple nonflowering plant of a large group that includes the seaweeds and many single-celled forms. Algae contain chlorophyll but lack true stems, roots, leaves, and vascular tissue |
Parasites | an animal or plant that lives in or on another animal or plant and gets food or protection from it |
Vaccines | a substance that is usually injected into a person or animal to protect against a particular disease |
Antibiotics | a medicine (such as penicillin or its derivatives) that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms |
HostCell | a living cell invaded by or capable of being invaded by an infectious agent (as a bacterium or a virus) |
Unicellular | having or consisting of a single cell |
Vectors | an insect, animal, etc., that carries germs that cause disease |
Infectious | likely to be transmitted to people, organisms, etc., through the environment |
Pathogens | something (such as a type of bacteria or a virus) that causes disease |
Epidemic | affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time |
Pandemic | occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population |
Antimicrobial | destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms and especially pathogenic microorganisms |