What is the smallest pathogen?
1 Answer
Jan 2, 2018
Smallest pathogen: prion
plus fact
Explanation:
Priones
- they are made of proteins
- size: 2-3 nm, 1 nanometre= 0.000000001 m
- pathogens for humans and animals
- human prion diseases: Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, kuru known as "laughing sickness"....
The last one is spread via cannibalism. - All prion diseases in humans affect the brain.
- animal prion diseases: mad cow disease, scrapie...
- mortality: 100%
Plus fact:
Nanobe
- mostly found in sediments
- "smallest living organism" title is not completely sure, fore some scientists this is just a hypothesis
- about 20 nm long