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Pathogens cause diseases by damaging cells, digesting and destroying living cells or producing toxins that interfere with the essential processes of cells stopping the cells from functioning correctly.
Viruses take over the cell's metabolism may insert their genetic material into the host cell's DNA. They use the host cell to make new viruses. The viruses then burst out of the cell destroying the cell and spreading to other cells.
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Key terms in this lesson
- pathogen
- A microorganism that causes disease.
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