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CHEM 480A- Genomics and Infectious Diseases | Assignment

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University of Arizona

   

Genomics and infectious diseases (CHEM 480A)

   

Added on  2020-03-04

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The below document discusses Genomics and Infectious Diseases. It also discusses the main classes and types of microbes causing infectious diseases and  how these microbes are currently diagnosed and typed.

CHEM 480A- Genomics and Infectious Diseases | Assignment

   

University of Arizona

   

Genomics and infectious diseases (CHEM 480A)

   Added on 2020-03-04

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Genomics and Infectious DiseasesNameUniversity
CHEM 480A- Genomics and Infectious Diseases | Assignment_1
Genomics and Infectious Diseases2The main classes and types of microbes causing infectious diseasesOur bodies are akin to an ecosystem because several species of normal flora are natural inhabitants of the body. Approximately 1014 microbial cells of various kinds of bacteria, fungiand protozoa are part of this ecosystem and live on the skin, mouth, vagina, or the colon. Even viruses inhabit our cells, though they may not always be able to cause disease symptoms. But pathogenic microbes are different from these natural inhabitant. While the normal flora can cause disease only in immuno-compromised patients or when they gain entry into normally sterile tissues or part of the body, pathogens cause infections the moment they inhabit our bodies by invading cells and biochemical barriers. The main classes of pathogens that cause infections are:BacteriaBacterial infections are common could be caused by endogenous or exogenous bacteria. Endogenous bacteria are the normal flora of the human body and may gain access to the sterile parts of the body through the respiratory tract or when the skin or mucosa suffers from trauma or is exposed during a surgical procedure.FungiFungi are rarely pathogenic and are not known to cause many diseases though we constantly come in contact with the propagules. Most fungal infections are caused in patients with low immunity, examples include Candida albicans, Histoplasma casulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Penicillium marneffei, Coccidioides immitis and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Most pathogenic fungi are dimorphic in nature andchange morphology from yeast to filamentous or vice versa. Most fungal pathogens that infect the hair, nail or skin tissue are able to produce the enzyme keratinase. Fungal infections can be cutaneous, sub-cutaneous or systemic.Protozoans
CHEM 480A- Genomics and Infectious Diseases | Assignment_2
Genomics and Infectious Diseases3Like fungi, the protozoans are also eukaryotes and are therefore more difficult to treat.Plasmodium vivax, the malaria parasite is an example and has a complex life cycle with several stages, part of the life cycle is completed in a vector, which adds to the complexity of finding a vaccine [ CITATION Alb03 \l 16393 ].Viruses Several viruses such as the inflenza virus that causes flu infect human beings. Other viral diseases include, the chicken pox virus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C viruses. Viruses that have virulent characteristics are able to cause infection in cells ofthe body. Once infection occurs, the virus can spread in the body and replicate within cells to an extent that the target organ's function gets impaired. When a virus is virulence, it is able to replicate even during the occurrence of fever and inflammation.Describe how these microbes are currently diagnosed and typedDiagnosis of microbial infectious disease requires the history of patient's illness, physical exam, radiographic tests, if relevant and laboratory tests. In the present context it will be pertinent to focus on the methods of laboratory tests. The specimen is collected on the basis of the symptoms and signs and then it is processed. The collection must be collected before the antibiotic therapy is started. Depending on the nature of the infection, specimen collectioncould be invasive or non-invasive. Non-invasive collection, usually involves collection of urine sample or a sputum sample. Invasive collection, may involve collection of blood using a syringe, collection of swab from a site of infection, collection of cerebro-spinal fluid or even a surgery to collect samples of pus and local tissue in case of a deep seated abscess.Sensitivity and specificity of tests is an important aspect of laboratory testing of pathogens. The sensitivity of a test depends the number of microbial cells present in a specimen. Whereas, specificity depends on how close the isolated microorganism is morphologically or structurally to the pathogen, or how specific the reaction between its antigen and antibody are
CHEM 480A- Genomics and Infectious Diseases | Assignment_3

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