What are prions and why significant?

Prepare for the AAMI Microbiology exam for embalmers with our comprehensive quiz. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions with explanations and hints to master exam content and enhance your study experience.

Prions are misfolded forms of a normal cellular protein that can induce other normal proteins to misfold, causing fatal neurodegenerative diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Their significance lies in their unusual resistance to standard disinfection and sterilization methods used for most microbes, meaning typical cleaners and heat treatments may not inactivate them. Because of this, tissues and instruments that may be contaminated require stringent decontamination—often involving strong chemical oxidizers or alkaline cleaners and extended or higher-temperature autoclaving—and careful disposal per biohazard guidelines. This combination of being misfolded proteins and their resistance to ordinary disinfection is why this option is correct. They are not bacteria, not lipids, and not harmless proteins, so those descriptions don’t fit the reality of prions.