Prions are misfolded proteins with the ability to transmit their misfolded shape onto normal variants of the same protein..the abnormal three-dimensional structure is suspected of conferring infectious properties, collapsing nearby protein molecules into the same shape. The word prion derives from "proteinaceous infectious particle".[4][5][6] The hypothesized role of a protein as an infectious agent stands in contrast to all other known infectious agents such as viroids, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, all of which contain nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, or both).
The word prion, coined in 1982 by Stanley B. Prusiner, is derived from protein and infection, hence prion,[20][21] and is short for "proteinaceous infectious particle",[9] in reference to its ability to self-propagate and transmit its conformation to other proteins.[22] Its main pronunciation is /ˈpriːɒn/ (listen),[23][24][25] although /ˈpraɪɒn/, as the homographic name of the bird (prions or whalebirds) is pronounced,[25] is also heard.[26] In his 1982 paper introducing the term, Prusiner specified that it is "pronounced pree-on."[27]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prion
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