Which of the following is a type of pathogen not bacteria, virus, or fungi?

Which of the following is a type of pathogen not bacteria, virus, or fungi?

• A. Algae
• B. Virus
• C. Protist
• D. Bacteria

Answer: (C)

Pathogens come from different groups, and among common disease-causing organisms, protists are a diverse set of single-celled eukaryotes that can cause illness in humans. This means protists are a type of pathogen even though they’re not bacteria (prokaryotes), not viruses (acellular), and not fungi (a separate kingdom). For example, malaria is caused by Plasmodium, a protist, and amebic dysentery is caused by Entamoeba histolytica, illustrating that protists can be pathogenic. Algae are mostly photosynthetic organisms and aren’t typical disease-causing pathogens in humans, while viruses are pathogens but belong to a different category altogether. So the best answer is protists.

Pathogens come from different groups, and among common disease-causing organisms, protists are a diverse set of single-celled eukaryotes that can cause illness in humans. This means protists are a type of pathogen even though they’re not bacteria (prokaryotes), not viruses (acellular), and not fungi (a separate kingdom). For example, malaria is caused by Plasmodium, a protist, and amebic dysentery is caused by Entamoeba histolytica, illustrating that protists can be pathogenic. Algae are mostly photosynthetic organisms and aren’t typical disease-causing pathogens in humans, while viruses are pathogens but belong to a different category altogether. So the best answer is protists.