Pathogenic & Nonpathogenic

Microorganisms have the capacity of causing severe disease if the conditions are ideal enough to sustain the life of these microbes. As more and more microbes are able to grow, the risk of disease development rises. Although all microorganisms have the capability of producing virulent effects, some are more able to do so than others. Pathogenic microorganisms are strong enough to fight off the natural defenses of the human body and are therefore almost guaranteed to cause some sort of disease (Murray & Rosenthal, 2008). On the other hand, non-pathogenic microorganisms or opportunistic microorganisms are only able to cause disease if the body's natural defense system is compromised through either an illness such as HIV, or through the taking of medications that may temporarily suppress the immune system (Murray & Rosenthal, 2008). All types of microorganisms need to be in their ideal growth environment, or ecological niche,...
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