Gujarati
Hindi
7.Human Health and Disease
normal

The causative agent of mad­cow disease is a

A

virus

B

bacterium

C

prion

D

worm.

(AIPMT-2006)

Solution

(c) : Mad cow disease is the common term for Bovine spongiform encepholopathy $(BSE)$, a progressive neurological disorder ofcattle. It is caused by prions. Symptoms include an excitable or nervous temperament to external stimuli such as touch to the skin. A prion (short for proteinaceous infectious particle) is a unique type of infectious agent, as it is made only of protein. Prions are abnormally­ structured forms of a host protein, which are able to convert normal molecules of the protein into the abnormal structure.

Standard 12
Biology

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