Pathogens - Video Lesson

Hey, everybody. Welcome back. In this lesson, we will be discussing what a pathogen is the categories of pathogens, the body's normal defenses against infections, and at risk patient populations. Let's begin by defining what a pathogen is. A pathogen is a microorganism or agent that can cause disease. These disease causing agents can take various forms like bacteria or viruses. Understanding pathogens is fundamental because they are at the core of many illnesses we encounter in health care. Pathogens can be categorized into five major types. Bacteria viruses fungi, parasites, and prions. Let's discuss bacteria first. Bacteria are single celled organisms that can cause infections. Bacteria reproduce by dividing into two cells and they're off spring are essentially clones of the parent bacteria with the exact same genetic material. It's important to note that there are beneficial bacteria on our skin