Have you ever had doubts when using different terms in the fight against microbial resistance? Do you know what is the clear difference between germ and pathogen? Don’t worry! At HIFAS Biologics, we help you to put an end to uncertainty.
What is a Germ?
In the microscopic world, the term “germ” is used to describe any living organism that can cause disease. This includes:
Bacteria: Single-celled organisms that can be beneficial (as in the case of intestinal flora) or harmful when they cause infections.
Fungi: Although some fungi are edible and beneficial, others can cause fungal infections.
Parasites: Organisms that live at the expense of a host, causing disease.
Viruses: Entities smaller than bacteria, which need a host cell to replicate and can cause various diseases.
What is a Pathogen?
Not all germs are harmful. In fact, many are harmless and even beneficial to human health. However, some germs are known as pathogens. Pathogens are microorganisms that can cause disease or infection when they invade a host. That is, all pathogens are germs, but not all germs are pathogens.
| GERM |
PATHOGEN |
|
Any microorganism, whether bacteria, fungi, parasites or viruses. |
A specific type of germ that can cause disease. |
| Most are harmless and some are beneficial. |
It always has the potential to cause harm to the host. |
| Lactic acid bacteria (beneficial), edible mushrooms… |
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (causes tuberculosis), Candida albicans (causes fungal infections)…. |
Understanding the difference between these terms is crucial to maintaining scientific certainty and making a real impact on society. Knowing how to identify and differentiate between harmless germs and dangerous pathogens allows us to develop more effective strategies to fight infections and prevent the spread of disease, a growing and worrisome challenge that we are committed to at HIFAS Biologics. Our research is focused on harnessing the medicinal potential of fungi to discover novel compounds that may be effective against resistant bacteria.
Here’s to a future without health threats!