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Pathogenic Fungi
Pathogenic fungi are fungi that cause disease in humans or other organisms. Approximately 300 fungi are known to be pathogenic to humans. Markedly more fungi are known to be pathogenic to plant life than those of the animal kingdom. The study of fungi pathogenic to humans is called "medical mycology". Although fungi are eukaryotic, many pathogenic fungi are microorganisms. The study of fungi and other organisms pathogenic to plants is called plant pathology. ''Candida'' ''Candida'' species cause infections in individuals with deficient immune systems. Th1-type cell-mediated immunity (CMI) is required for clearance of a fungal infection. ''Candida albicans'' is a kind of diploid yeast that commonly occurs among the human gut microflora. ''C. albicans'' is an opportunistic pathogen in humans. Abnormal over-growth of this fungus can occur, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. ''C. albicans'' has a parasexual cycle that appears to be stimulated by environmental str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fungi
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from the other eukaryotic kingdoms, which by one traditional classification include Plantae, Animalia, Protozoa, and Chromista. A characteristic that places fungi in a different kingdom from plants, bacteria, and some protists is chitin in their cell walls. Fungi, like animals, are heterotrophs; they acquire their food by absorbing dissolved molecules, typically by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment. Fungi do not photosynthesize. Growth is their means of mobility, except for spores (a few of which are flagellated), which may travel through the air or water. Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems. These and other differences place fungi in a single group of related organisms, named the ''Eumycota'' (''t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parasexual Cycle
The parasexual cycle, a process restricted to fungi and single-celled organisms, is a nonsexual mechanism of parasexuality for transferring genetic material without meiosis or the development of sexual structures. It was first described by Italian geneticist Guido Pontecorvo in 1956 during studies on ''Aspergillus nidulans'' (also called ''Emericella nidulans'' when referring to its sexual form, or teleomorph). A parasexual cycle is initiated by the fusion of hyphae ( anastomosis) during which nuclei and other cytoplasmic components occupy the same cell (heterokaryosis and plasmogamy). Fusion of the unlike nuclei in the cell of the heterokaryon results in formation of a diploid nucleus ( karyogamy), which is believed to be unstable and can produce segregants by recombination involving mitotic crossing-over and haploidization. Mitotic crossing-over can lead to the exchange of genes on chromosomes; while haploidization probably involves mitotic nondisjunctions which randomly reass ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aspergillus Clavatus
''Aspergillus clavatus'' is a species of fungus in the genus ''Aspergillus'' with conidia dimensions 3–4.5 x 2.5–4.5 μm. It is found in soil and animal manure. The fungus was first described scientifically in 1834 by the French mycologist John Baptiste Henri Joseph Desmazières. The fungus can produce the toxin patulin, which may be associated with disease in humans and animals. This species is only occasionally pathogenic. Other sources have identified many species of ''Aspergillus'' as producing dry, hydrophobic spores that are easily inhaled by humans and animals. Due to the small size of the spores, about 70% of spores of ''A. fumigatus'' are able to penetrate into the trachea and primary bronchi and close to 1% into alveoli. Inhalation of spores of ''Aspergillus'' is a health risk. ''A. clavatus'' is allergenic, causing the occupational hypersensitivity pneumonitis known as malt-worker's lung. History and taxonomy ''Aspergillus clavatus'' is a species of ''Aspergill ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive substances are considered carcinogens, but their carcinogenic activity is attributed to the radiation, for example gamma rays and alpha particles, which they emit. Common examples of non-radioactive carcinogens are inhaled asbestos, certain dioxins, and tobacco smoke. Although the public generally associates carcinogenicity with synthetic chemicals, it is equally likely to arise from both natural and synthetic substances. Carcinogens are not necessarily immediately toxic; thus, their effect can be insidious. Carcinogens, as mentioned, are agents in the environment capable of contributing to cancer growth. Carcinogens can be categorized into two different types: activation-dependent and activation-independent, and each nature impacts their l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aflatoxin
Aflatoxins are various poisonous carcinogens and mutagens that are produced by certain molds, particularly ''Aspergillus'' species. The fungi grow in soil, decaying vegetation and various staple foodstuffs and commodities such as hay, sweetcorn, wheat, millet, sorghum, cassava, rice, chili peppers, cottonseed, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and various spices. In short, the relevant fungi grow on almost any crop or food. When such contaminated food is processed or consumed, the aflatoxins enter the general food supply. They have been found in both pet and human foods, as well as in feedstocks for agricultural animals. Animals fed contaminated food can pass aflatoxin transformation products into eggs, milk products, and meat. For example, contaminated poultry feed is the suspected source of aflatoxin-contaminated chicken meat and eggs in Pakistan. Children are particularly affected by aflatoxin exposure, which is associated with stunted growth, delayed de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aspergillus Flavus
''Aspergillus flavus'' is a saprotrophic and pathogenic fungus with a cosmopolitan distribution. It is best known for its colonization of cereal grains, legumes, and tree nuts. Postharvest rot typically develops during harvest, storage, and/or transit. Its specific name ''flavus'' derives from the Latin meaning yellow, a reference to the frequently observed colour of the spores. ''A. flavus'' infections can occur while hosts are still in the field (preharvest), but often show no symptoms ( dormancy) until postharvest storage or transport. In addition to causing preharvest and postharvest infections, many strains produce significant quantities of toxic compounds known as mycotoxins, which, when consumed, are toxic to mammals. ''A. flavus'' is also an opportunistic human and animal pathogen, causing aspergillosis in immunocompromised individuals. Hosts ''Aspergillus flavus'' is found globally as a saprophyte in soils and causes disease on many important agriculture crops. Com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aspergillus Fumigatus
''Aspergillus fumigatus'' is a species of fungus in the genus '' Aspergillus'', and is one of the most common ''Aspergillus'' species to cause disease in individuals with an immunodeficiency. ''Aspergillus fumigatus'', a saprotroph widespread in nature, is typically found in soil and decaying organic matter, such as compost heaps, where it plays an essential role in carbon and nitrogen recycling. Colonies of the fungus produce from conidiophores; thousands of minute grey-green conidia (2–3 μm) which readily become airborne. For many years, ''A. fumigatus'' was thought to only reproduce asexually, as neither mating nor meiosis had ever been observed. In 2008, ''A. fumigatus'' was shown to possess a fully functional sexual reproductive cycle, 145 years after its original description by Fresenius. Although ''A. fumigatus'' occurs in areas with widely different climates and environments, it displays low genetic variation and a lack of population genetic differentiation on a glob ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pulmonary Aspergillosis
The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart. Their function in the respiratory system is to extract oxygen from the air and transfer it into the bloodstream, and to release carbon dioxide from the bloodstream into the atmosphere, in a process of gas exchange. Respiration is driven by different muscular systems in different species. Mammals, reptiles and birds use their different muscles to support and foster breathing. In earlier tetrapods, air was driven into the lungs by the pharyngeal muscles via buccal pumping, a mechanism still seen in amphibians. In humans, the main muscle of respiration that drives breathing is the diaphragm. The lungs also provide airflow that makes vocal sounds including human speech possible. Humans have two lungs, one on the left and o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Burgess Publishing Company
__NOTOC__ Burgess may refer to: People and fictional characters * Burgess (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Burgess (given name), a list of people Places * Burgess, Michigan, an unincorporated community * Burgess, Missouri, United States * Burgess, South Carolina, United States *Burgess, Virginia, United States *Burgess Township, Bond County, Illinois, United States * Burgess Park, London, England * Burgess Field Oxford, England * Burgess Hill, Sussex, England * Mount Burgess, Canadian Rockies * Burgess Branch, a tributary of Missisquoi River, Vermont, United States Other uses * Burgess (title), a political official or representative *Burgess Company, an American airplane manufacturer *Burgess GAA, an athletic club in Ireland See also * Burgess House (other), several buildings named * Burgess model, or Concentric zone model, a theoretical model in urban geography * Burgess reagent, used in organic chemistry *Burgess Shale, a fossil-bearing formatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Candida Guilliermondii
''Meyerozyma guilliermondii'' (formerly known as ''Pichia guilliermondii'' until its rename in 2010) is a species of yeast of the genus '' Meyerozyma'' whose asexual or anamorphic form is known as ''Candida guilliermondii''. ''Candida guilliermondii'' has been isolated from numerous human infections, mostly of cutaneous origin, if only from immunosuppressed patients. ''C. guilliermondii'' has also been isolated from normal skin and in seawater, feces of animals, fig wasps, buttermilk, leather, fish, and beer. Morphology ''Candida guilliermondii'' colonies are flat, moist, smooth, and cream to yellow in color on Sabouraud dextrose agar. It does not grow on the surface when inoculated into Sabouraud broth. On cornmeal between 80 agar and at 25 °C after 72 h, it produces clusters of small blastospore A blastospore is an asexual fungal spore produced by budding. Produced by fungi within the phylum Glomeromycota and others. It is also known as a blastoconidium (plura ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Candida Parapsilosis
''Candida parapsilosis'' is a fungal species of yeast that has become a significant cause of sepsis and of wound and tissue infections in immunocompromised people. Unlike ''Candida albicans'' and '' Candida tropicalis'', ''C. parapsilosis'' is not an obligate human pathogen, having been isolated from nonhuman sources such as domestic animals, insects and soil. ''C. parapsilosis'' is also a normal human commensal and it is one of the fungi most frequently isolated from human hands. There are several risk factors that can contribute to ''C. parapsilosis'' colonization. Immunocompromised individuals and surgical patients, particularly those undergoing surgery of the gastrointestinal tract, are at high risk for infection with ''C. parapsilosis''. There is currently no consensus on the treatment of invasive candidiasis caused by ''C. parapsilosis'', although the therapeutic approach typically includes the removal of foreign bodies such as implanted prostheses and the administration of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Candida Krusei
''Candida krusei'' is a budding yeast (a species of fungus) involved in chocolate production. ''Candida krusei'' is an emerging fungal nosocomial pathogen primarily found in the immunocompromised and those with hematological malignancies. It has natural resistance to fluconazole, a standard antifungal agent. It is most often found in patients who have had prior fluconazole exposure, sparking debate and conflicting evidence as to whether fluconazole should be used prophylactically. Mortality due to ''C. krusei'' fungemia is much higher than the more common ''C. albicans''. Other '' Candida'' species that also fit this profile are ''C. parapsilosis'', ''C. glabrata'', ''C. tropicalis'', ''C. guillermondii'' and ''C. rugosa''. ''Candida krusei'' is the anamorph name; the teleomorph name for the same organism is ''Pichia kudriavzevii.'' The International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF) and the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi (NCF) have proposed revising the standard na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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