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BookmarkA pathogen or infectious agent is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host.
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The term is most often used for agents that disrupt the normal physiology of a multicellular animal or plant.
However, pathogens can infect unicellular organisms from all of the biological kingdoms.
There are several substrates and pathways whereby pathogens can invade a host.
The human body contains many natural defenses against some of common pathogens in the form of the human immune system and by some "helpful" bacteria present in the human body's normal flora.
Some pathogens have been found to be responsible for massive amounts of casualties and have had numerous effects on afflicted groups.
Today, while many medical advances have been made to safeguard against infection by pathogens, through the use of vaccination, antibiotics and fungicide, pathogens continue to threaten human life.
Social advances such as food safety, hygiene, and water treatment have reduced the threat from some pathogens..
For more information about the topic Pathogen, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
Phytopathology — Phytopathology or plant pathology is the science of diagnosing and managing plant diseases. It covers all infectious agents that attack plants and ... > read more
Immune system — The immune system is the system of specialized cells and organs that protect an organism from outside biological influences. (Though in a broad ... > read more
