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In Epidemiology , a vector is an Organism that does not cause Disease itself but which spreads Infection by conveying Pathogen s from one Host to another. A classic example is the Anopheles Mosquito which acts as a vector for the disease Malaria by transmitting the malarial parasite Plasmodium to humans. In this case Plasmodium is harmless to the mosquito (its Intermediate Host ) but causes the disease Malaria in humans (its Definitive Host ). In Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering a vector is a vehicle for transferring genetic material into a cell. A Viral Vector is a virus which has been modified to Transduct specific genetic material into a cell, e.g. for Gene Therapy . A Plasmid Vector is made by splicing a DNA Construct into a Plasmid . Various techniques are then used to Transfect the plasmid into the cell. EPIDEMIOLOGY There are two types of vector that convey infectious organisms to a host. Microbes do not multiply within mechanical vectors - mechanical vectors only physically transport microbes from host to host. In contrast, microbes must propagate within a biological vector before the biological vector can transmit the microbes.
CELL TRANSFORMATION AND GENE THERAPY
DNA
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