From which phrase is the term "prions" derived?
1 Answer
Protinaceous infectious particles.
Explanation:
A prion is an pathogenic protein that can 'reproduce' on its own without the need of genetic material. A prion is an abnormal form of a normal occurring protein named prion protein (PrP).
Normal PrP is present mainly in neurons in the brain (central nervous system), but is also found in other cell types. There is however also a disease causing (pathogenic) form of this protein, this protein is folded differently as depicted in the image below.
This is the protein-part of the name prion. The infectious part is the most interesting. We know infections from bacteria of viruses that can reproduce using DNA and/or RNA, something a prion (essentially just a protein) doesn't have. It replicates by functioning as a folding-template for normal PrP, producing more misfolded proteins. It can also spread to other organisms.
That is why they called this pathogenic particle a prion, it is a protein that has the ability to cause an infection.
