After completing this module, the student will be able to:
- Explain the major differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
- List the major types of infectious agents and be able to distinguish between living and non-living agents.
- Explain the key differences among bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses, and prions.
- Describe how bacteria and viruses reproduce.
- List and describe the four general patterns of viral infection.
- Define ‘prion’, and discuss the role of prions in the epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United Kingdom.
- Discuss the role of prions in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).
- Discuss how the British BSE epidemic in cattle caused disease in humans.
Developed by Wayne W. LaMorte, MD, PhD, MPH, Assistant Dean for Education, Boston University School of Public Health.