What is a vector?

What is a vector?

• A. A method of decontaminating surfaces
• B. Any living organism that can carry a disease-producing virus
• C. An inanimate object used to store equipment
• D. A chemical that neutralizes toxins

Answer: (B)

A vector is a living organism that transmits a pathogen from one host to another, enabling disease spread. This fits the idea of a living carrier that can carry a disease-producing agent and pass it on, which is why the option describing a living organism that can carry a disease-producing virus best matches the concept. Vectors are not tools for cleaning, inanimate objects, or chemicals; those things don’t move pathogens between hosts the way a living carrier does.

A vector is a living organism that transmits a pathogen from one host to another, enabling disease spread. This fits the idea of a living carrier that can carry a disease-producing agent and pass it on, which is why the option describing a living organism that can carry a disease-producing virus best matches the concept. Vectors are not tools for cleaning, inanimate objects, or chemicals; those things don’t move pathogens between hosts the way a living carrier does.