12 Background to the infectious diseases Introduction Vertebrates have been continuously exposed to microbial infections throughout their hundreds of millions of years of evolution. Disease or death was the penalty…
3 The viruses Introduction Viruses differ from all other infectious organisms in their structure and biology, particularly in their reproduction. Although viruses carry conventional genetic information in their DNA or…
20 Urinary tract infections Introduction Urinary tract infections are common, especially among women The urinary tract is one of the most common sites of bacterial infection, particularly in females; 20–30%…
8 The host–parasite relationship Introduction The preceding chapters have focused primarily on organisms that are quite clearly disease agents. Small numbers may be found in healthy individuals, but their presence…
6 The helminths and arthropods Introduction The term ‘helminth’ is used for all groups of parasitic worms. Three main groups are important in humans: the tapeworms (Cestoda), the flukes (Trematoda…
1 Microbes as parasites The varieties of microbes Prokaryotes and eukaryotes A number of important and distinctive biologic characteristics must be taken into account when considering any organism in relation…
5 The protozoa Introduction Protozoa are single-celled animals, ranging in size from 2 to 100 nm. Many species are free-living, but others are important parasites of humans. Some free-living species…
and Jürgen Roth2 (1) Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (2) University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Secretory Pathway of Pancreatic Acinar Cells In their classical Nobel Prize–winning studies on protein…
