Traditionally in medicine, a vector is an organism that does not cause disease itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another.

Species of mosquito, for example, serve as vectors for the deadly disease Malaria.

This sense of "biological vector" is the primary one in epidemiology and in common speech. In gene therapy, a virus itself may serve as a vector, if it has been re-engineered and is used to deliver a gene to its target cell.

A "vector" in this sense is a vehicle for delivering genetic material such as DNA to a cell..

For more information about the topic Vector (biology), read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Pest (animal) — A pest is an animal which has characteristics which people regard as injurious or unwanted. An example of serious pests are those organisms which ...  > read more

Gene therapy — Gene therapy is the insertion of genes into an individual's cells and tissues to treat a disease, and hereditary diseases in which a defective mutant ...  > read more

Genetically modified organism — A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using techniques in genetics generally known as ...  > read more

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

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Modified HIV May Be Effective For Delivering And Regulating Gene Therapy (June 27, 2000) — HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, may be adapted for use in gene therapy to treat genetic diseases and immune system disorders including AIDS itself, according to a University of North Carolina at ...  > read more

Control Of Mosquito Vectors Of Malaria May Be Enhanced By A New Method Of Biocontrol (October 1, 2009) — Biopesticides containing a fungus that is pathogenic to mosquitoes may be an effective means of reducing malaria transmission, particularly if used in combination with insecticide-treated bednets, ...  > read more

Clearer Day For Gene Therapy: New Vector Carries Big Genes Linked To Inherited Blindness (April 19, 2008) — For some inherited diseases, one barrier to successful gene therapy is that a commonly used vector (package into which the curative gene is placed) cannot accommodate the large size of the curative ...  > read more

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