Final answer:
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as 'mad cow disease,' is caused by prions: misfolded forms of a normal cellular protein. Prions can convert the normal protein into an infectious form, leading to brain damage. BSE can be transmitted to humans, causing a similar neurodegenerative disease called vCJD.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as 'mad cow disease,' is thought to be caused by prions, which are misfolded forms of a normal cellular protein called PrP (prion protein).
Prions can convert the normal form of the protein into the infectious form, leading to an increase in the infectious protein and the formation of plaques in the brain tissue.
BSE can be transmitted to humans through the consumption of infected nerve tissues, causing a similar neurodegenerative disease called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).