Pathogenic
/ˌpæθəˈdʒɛnɪk/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Pathogenic means able to cause sickness or disease. It is often used to talk about bacteria, viruses, or other tiny living things that can make people, animals, or plants sick. If something is pathogenic, it has the power to harm health.
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See It in Action
Causing disease or illness in living things
- •The pathogenic bacteria caused the infection in her wound.
- •Scientists study pathogenic viruses to find ways to stop them.
- •Not all bacteria are pathogenic; some help with digestion.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "pathogenic" like "sick" (A1 word), but for germs—these germs are the ones that make you sick
- ✓Picture tiny invisible germs attacking your body and making you feel bad or weak
- ✓It's the feeling when you catch a cold and know that some tiny thing inside you is causing the problem
- ✓Sounds like "PATH-o-JEN-ik" → imagine a path where tiny enemies (germs) travel to cause trouble inside you
- ✓Think of stories where a hero fights a villain; here, the villain is a pathogenic germ causing illness
- ✓NOT like "harmless" germs that live on your skin or in your body without causing problems—pathogenic germs cause disease
- ✓NOT like "healthy" or "safe"—pathogenic means dangerous to health
- ✓NOT like "all germs"—only some germs are pathogenic; others are harmless or helpful
Try Other Words
- •Disease-causing: meaning it can make you sick (Use when you want a clearer, simpler phrase)
- •Infectious: meaning it can spread and cause infection (Use when emphasizing that illness can pass from one to another)
- •Harmful: meaning it can cause damage or hurt (Use for general danger, not only disease)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "patho-" (from Greek meaning disease or suffering) + "genic" (from Greek meaning producing or causing)
- •Etymology: Comes from Greek roots where "pathos" means suffering or disease, and "-genic" means producing or causing
- •Historical development: First used in medical language to describe agents that cause disease
- •Modern usage: Used mainly in medicine and biology to describe germs or factors that cause illness
Reflect & Connect
•How can knowing whether a germ is pathogenic help doctors treat patients better?
•Can something be pathogenic for one person but not for another? Why might that happen?
Fill in the blanks
1.Pathogenic bacteria can ___ cause infections when they enter the body through cuts or wounds.
2.When a virus is pathogenic, it means it can ___ illness in people or animals.
3.Unlike harmless bacteria, pathogenic germs ___ the body and make it sick.
4.Doctors study pathogenic microbes to ___ new medicines and vaccines.
5.The word pathogenic comes from roots meaning "disease" and "___," which means causing or producing.
6.If a germ is not pathogenic, it usually ___ cause any harm to the host.
7.Pathogenic organisms often spread in places where hygiene is ___, increasing the risk of disease.