AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -How is a Prion Disease different from Viral and Bacterial Diseases? – Viruses and bacteria are microorganisms that contain genetic material. They do not generate spontaneously. In contrast, Prion Disease is caused by a change in shape of a cellular protein.

Detailed explanation-2: -Prions – novel infectious agents differing from all other known pathogenic agents. Prions are simple proteins that are much smaller than viruses. They are unique since they lack a genome. All other known infectious agents contain genetic material.

Detailed explanation-3: -A virus refers to an infectious particle that can cause various types of diseases in living organisms while a prion is a simpler infectious particle that causes neuro-degenerative diseases. Viruses are made up of nucleic acids, which is covered by a protein coat while a prion is completely made up of proteins.

Detailed explanation-4: -Prion diseases are transmissible, untreatable, and fatal brain diseases of mammals. Their cause is highly unusual: The host’s normal prion protein can, for unknown reasons, malfunction and assemble into structured aggregates called prions that cause infectious brain disease.