Identify structure and characteristics of bacteria viruses and fungi

Blocking transcription blocks any possibility of replication. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do not destroy their target microbe; in its place they inhibit their progress and development of viruses. Antivirals should be distinguished from viricides, which are usually used a disinfectants rather than medications, but deactivate or destroy virus particles, either inside or outside the body.

A very early stage of viral infection is viral entry, when the virus attaches to and enters the host cell. Inhibitors of uncoating have also been investigated. Amantadine and rimantadine have been introduced to combat influenza. These agents act on this penetration and uncoating process. Pleconaril works against rhinoviruses, which cause the common cold, by blocking a pocket on the surface of the virus that controls the uncoating process. This pocket is similar in most strains of rhinoviruses and enteroviruses, which can cause diarrhea, meningitis, conjunctivitis, and encephalitis.

The problem today with antibiotics or antibacterials, antifungicides, and antiviruses is resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by it.

Resistant microorganisms bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial drugs so that standard treatments become ineffective and infections persist, increasing the risk of spread to others.

The evolution of resistant strains is a natural phenomenon that occurs when microorganisms replicate themselves erroneously or when resistant traits are exchanged between them. When resistance occurs it is necessary to form modified drugs to avoid resistance. For instance, ampicillin and amoxicillin are variants of penicillin to work around resistance of common infections. Know these keywords and what each word refers to as well as its function.

Read over the list. Are all these keywords familiar? Answer these questions. Do you know the answers, holy cow! Check yourself out in this quiz, and prove that you are a humanology wiz. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Human Physiology, Biochemistry and Basic Medicine. Published online Oct Laurence Cole and Peter R. Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Common forms: Fungi are responsible for causing conditions such as yeast infections , valley fever and meningitis.

Fungi are more complicated organisms than viruses and bacteria—they are "eukaryotes," which means they have cells. Of the three pathogens, fungi are most similar to animals in their structure. There are two main types of fungi: environmental, which are yeast and mold that often live in soil and don't generally cause infection in most healthy people; and commensals, which live on and in us and generally don't hurt us. Certain environmental fungi reproduce "spores," particles that can enter our body through the lungs or on the skin.

These fungi can be especially damaging for people with weakened immune systems, as the fungi can spread quickly and damage many organs. Fungi are slower to mutate, so they are easier to target with antifungal medications than bacteria are with antibiotics. Skip to content. How viruses make us sick. Viruses also are capable of infecting any living thing, including bacteria and fungi. How to treat viruses. How bacteria makes us sick.

How to treat bacterial infections. How fungi makes us sick. Commensal fungus, may play a beneficial role in our overall health. Other fungal infections can be caused by an overgrowth of commensal fungus. How to treat fungal infections. Tags: Expert Advice. Bacteria bak-TEER-ee-uh are tiny, single-celled organisms that get nutrients from their environments.

In some cases, that environment is your child or some other living being. Some bacteria are good for our bodies — they help keep the digestive system in working order and keep harmful bacteria from moving in.

Some bacteria are used to make medicines and vaccines. But bacteria can cause trouble too, as with cavities , urinary tract infections , ear infections , or strep throat. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. Viruses are even smaller than bacteria. They aren't even a full cell. They need to use another cell's structures to reproduce. This means they can't survive unless they're living inside something else such as a person, animal, or plant.

Viruses can only live for a very short time outside other living cells. For example, viruses in infected body fluids left on surfaces like a doorknob or toilet seat can live there for a short time.