Microbial Pathogenesis and Host-Pathogen Interactions

What this unit covers

This page sits in the Infection and Disease strand of Microbiology and immunology. Most resources look at how microbes cause harm and how the host responds. You will find bacterial colonisation, adhesion, invasion, toxins, virulence factors and immune evasion, plus some material on viruses, fungi and parasites.

Where to start

Begin with broad overviews. The mind map Biological agents as causes of disease sorts pathogens into obligate, facultative and opportunistic types. The flashcard deck Session 8 - Infectious Diseases defines infection and asks about its sources and the factors that lower host resistance. The notes Infection and Disease make a handy companion.

Going deeper into mechanisms

Next, move to how bacteria attach and get inside cells. Bacterial Colonisation and Virulence Factors and Type III Secretion System are good flashcard decks. The quiz Secretion and Adhesion System Questions asks which system uses a needle complex to inject toxins into a host cell. For toxins, try Super-Antigens & Toxins, which runs through MHC, T cell receptors and how superantigens work.

Specific pathogens

Several mind maps follow single organisms. The E.coli map branches into enteropathogenic, enterohaemorrhagic, enterotoxigenic, enteroinvasive, enteroaggregative and diffusely adherent types. Others cover Legionella effectors, Anthrax Virulence, Campylobacter and Listeria monocytogenes Pathogenicity. They are useful for comparing how different bacteria solve the same problems.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read a mind map to see how the ideas connect.
2. Take a quiz on the same topic and note what you missed.
3. Go back to the map or a flashcard deck to fix those gaps.
4. Retry the quiz a few days later.

Teachers can use the quizzes and maps as ready-made starting points for tutorials. Choose one topic today and open its quiz to see where you stand.