Answer :
Pathogenicity refers to the ability of a microbe to cause disease, while virulence measures.The correct answer is b. Virulence refers to the overall ability of a microbe to cause disease, whereas pathogenicity refers to the ability of one microbe to cause disease relative to another.
The correct answer is b. Virulence refers to the overall ability of a microbe to cause disease, whereas pathogenicity refers to the ability of one microbe to cause disease relative to another.
To understand the difference between pathogenicity and virulence, it's important to define these terms:
- Pathogenicity: Pathogenicity refers to the ability of a microbe (such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus) to cause disease in a host organism. It measures the capacity of the microbe to establish an infection and produce signs and symptoms of disease.
- Virulence: Virulence, on the other hand, refers to the overall ability of a microbe to cause disease. It encompasses various factors, including the microbe's ability to invade and colonize host tissues, evade the host immune system, and produce harmful toxins or enzymes.
The main difference between pathogenicity and virulence lies in their scope and context:
- Pathogenicity is a more general term that can be applied to any microbe capable of causing an infection. It doesn't necessarily compare the pathogenicity of different microbes.
- Virulence, however, is a more specific term that assesses the overall disease-causing ability of a microbe. It takes into account the microbe's specific characteristics and how they contribute to its ability to cause disease relative to other microbes.
For example, consider two different strains of bacteria. Both strains may possess pathogenicity, meaning they can both cause infections. However, if one strain has additional virulence factors that allow it to colonize host tissues more effectively or produce more harmful toxins, it would be considered more virulent compared to the other strain.
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