A microorganism that needs oxygen in order to live and grow.
Aerobe
A microorganism that grows best in the absence of oxygen.
Anaerobe
An agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth.
Antiseptic
Free from infection or pathogens.
Asepsis
Pathogenic microorganisms capable of causing disease that are present in human blood.
Bloodborne pathogens
Slender hairlike processes.
Cilia
To soil or to make impure.
Contaminate
A specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, nonintact skin, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from an employee's duties.
Exposure incident
The process of cleaning or sanitizing the hands.
Hand hygiene
The condition in which the body or part of the body is invaded by a pathogen.
Infection
A microscopic plant or animal.
Microorganism
Skin that has a break in the surface.
Nonintact skin
A microorganism that does not normally cause disease.
Nonpathogen
Reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.
Occupational exposure
An infection resulting from a defective immune system that cannot defend the body from pathogens normally found in the environment.
Oppurtunistic infection
The temperature at which an organism grows best.
Optimum growth temperature
A disease-producing microorganism.
Pathogen
The degree to which an a solution is acidic or basic.
pH
Treatment administered to an individual after exposure to an infectious disease to prevent the disease.
Post-exposure prophylaxis
Any wast containing infectious material that may pose a threat to health and safety.
Regulated medical waste
The organism that becomes infected by a pathogen and also serves as a source of transfer of pathogen to others.
Resevoir host
Easily affected: lacking resistance.
Susceptible
Microorganisms that reside on the superficial skin layers and are picked up in the course of daily activities.