Cytopathic effect

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Cytopathic effect

Cytopathic effect or CPE (pronounced: sy-toe-path-ic effect) is a morphological change in host cells that are caused by viral invasion. The infecting virus causes lysis of the host cell or when the cell dies without lysis due to an inability to reproduce.

Etymology

The term "cytopathic effect" is derived from the Greek words "kytos" meaning "cell", "pathos" meaning "disease", and "effect" which implies a change. Thus, it refers to the observable changes in host cells due to viral infection.

Related Terms

  • Virus: A submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism.
  • Host (biology): An organism that harbors a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist guest (symbiont), typically providing nourishment and shelter.
  • Lysis: The breaking down of the membrane of a cell, often by viral, enzymic, or osmotic mechanisms that compromise its integrity.
  • Cell (biology): The basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all known organisms.

See also

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