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pathogen

PATH-uh-juhn /ˈpæθədʒən/

nounC1GREMCATTOEFL

scientifictechnical

A bacterium, virus, fungus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.

Refers specifically to the biological agent responsible for illness, distinguishing it from non-pathogenic microbes.

The story behind the word. Coined in the late 19th century from Greek 'pathos' (suffering) and '-gen' (producer, from 'gignesthai', to be born). It was created during the golden age of bacteriology to designate microbes that create suffering.

Word relationships

germ: Germ is casual, everyday vocabulary; pathogen is the precise medical and scientific term.
infectious agent: Infectious agent is broader and can include non-living entities like prions.

Commonly confused with

vector: The pathogen is the illness-causing germ; the vector is the insect or animal that moves it around.
carcinogen: A pathogen causes infectious disease; a carcinogen causes cancer.

Word family

pathogenic (adjective): Capable of causing disease.
pathogenicity (noun): The property or ability of an organism to cause disease.
pathology (noun): The study of the causes and effects of diseases.

Collocations

airborne pathogen
bloodborne pathogen
pathogen transmission
novel pathogen

Example sentences

"The laboratory was retrofitted with high-efficiency air filtration to handle airborne pathogens safely." Microbiology research
"When a foreign pathogen enters the bloodstream, white blood cells generate antibodies tailored to neutralize its surface proteins." Immunology

Memory hook

PATHO-GEN = PATHOS (suffering) + GENERATOR (producer). A producer of suffering. Patho (suffering) + Gen (generator) = Disease generator.

When not to use

Do not use to describe chemical poisons or environmental toxins (use toxin or poison).

Fun facts

Fewer than 1% of all known bacterial species are actual pathogens to humans; the vast majority are harmless or beneficial.