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Ch. 11 Vocab/quest
Microbiology
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease | rare, degenerative brain disease--fatal--type of spongiform encephalopathy--progressive death of brain nerve cells--build up of abnormal prion proteins--microscope--see tiny holes where whole areas of nerve cells have died--brain spongy |
Kuru | initial discovery of Creutzfeldt-Jacob--by cannibalistic tribes who prepared and ate human brains in New Guinea--developed shaking--those who ate fully cooked brains not affected |
Prions | smallest replicating agents known--no DNA, RNA, or nucleic acids--term comes from proteinaceous agents |
Scrapie | when spongiform encephalopathy occurs in sheep--scratch themselves on trees/fences until wear through their hide. |
Spongiform encephalopathy | brain develops so many holes it looks like a sponge--brain fills up with useless protein untile brain damage is done--tens of years to become apparent--always fatal |
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy | mutational changes in the protein gene/spontaneous incorrect folding--spread from animal to animal and to humans |
Describe the smallest biological agent that is replicated | prion--a protein that causes itself to be replicated by the way it folds |
What damage do prions do? | abnormally folded prion proteins accumulate in the brain until the brain tissue is destroyed and the host dies |