Symbiosis is a biological basis of infection

Symbiosis has been considered as a biological basis of the infectious process. Attention has been paid to the change of paradigm in symbiology and to the appearance of a new term: associative symbiosis. The main structural-functional elements of associative symbiosis have been assessed, and three vectors of the infectious process have been detected: (1) host-normoflora, (2) host-associants, and (3) associants-indigenous microflora (microsymbiocenosis). Functions of microsymbionts determining host colonization resistance and development of disbioses and pathobiocenoses have been considered. Resistance of organism biotopes to microbes is associated with substrates which are overcome by associants with persistent potential. Antagonism and change of persistent potential in both the infectious agent itself and commensal microorganisms are the basis of symbiont interactions. The given material describes the role of intercellular interactions of symbionts at the level of proprokaryotes, proeukaryotes during the infectious pathology.