| A | B | 
| Infection | Invasion of susceptible host by microorgqanisms | 
| Microorganisms | Bacteria, viruses, fungi | 
| Colonization | Microorganism present, invades and multiplies but dopes not cause infection | 
| Communicable disease | Infectious disease transmitted from one person to another | 
| Virulence | Very pathogenic or rapidly progressing condition | 
| Nosocomial infection | Infection acquired during hospitalization | 
| Normal flora | Microorgainisms living on or within body and do not cause disease | 
| Carriers | Person who harbors and spreads an organism that causes disease in others but does not become ill | 
| Reservoir | Places where microorganisms can survive | 
| Portal of entry | Where organisms enter the body | 
| Pathogenicity | Ability of pathogenic agent to produce disease | 
| Pathogens | Microorganisms capable of producing disease | 
| Immunity | The quality of being susceptible to or unaffected by a disease | 
| Inflammation | Protectice response of body tissues to irritation or injury | 
| Suprainfection | Secondary infection usually caused by an opportunistic pathogen | 
| Asceptic technique | Healthcare procedure in which precautions are used to prevent contamination by microorganisms | 
| Medical asepsis | Procedures used to reduce the number of microorganisms and prevnet spread | 
| Surgical asepsis | Procedures used to eliminate any microorganisms from an area | 
| Airborne precautions | Safeguards designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious agents through air person breaths | 
| Contact precautions | Safeguards designed to reduce risk of transmission of microorganisms by direct or indirect contact | 
| Droplet precautions | Safeguards designed to reduce the risk of droplet transmission of infectious agents |