5.5 Clostridium

Vocabulary flashcards on Clostridium species, endospore formation, and associated diseases from Chapter 1 through Chapter 6.

Endospores

Dormant and metabolically inactive structures formed within a bacterial cell during times of environmental stress such as extreme temperature, starvation, drying, radiation, or chemicals.

Sporulation

The process by which an endospore is formed inside a bacterial cell.

Core

The bundled package within an endospore containing copied DNA, ribosomes, and enzymes needed for the vegetative cell.

Clostridium

A genus of endospore-forming bacteria that includes causative agents for botulism, diarrhea, and gas gangrene.

Neurotoxins

Poisonous substances secreted by bacteria like Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium tetani that harm the nervous system.

Toxemia

A condition also known as blood poisoning, resulting from toxins circulating in the blood.

Clostridium difficile

Also referred to as C. Diff, a bacterium that can lead to severe diarrhea.

Clostridium botulinum

A gram positive bacillus shaped anaerobe found in soil that produces the paralyzing botulinum neurotoxin.

Infant botulism

The most common form of botulism, affecting infants under one years old who ingest endospores from air, dust, or food such as honey.

Foodborne botulism

A form of botulism associated with improperly canned vegetables, causing symptoms like altered vision, difficulty swallowing, speaking, or breathing, and paralysis.

Wound botulism

A rare form of botulism occurring when bacteria enter a break in the skin, frequently linked to injecting heroin.

Flaccid paralysis

A state where muscles stay relaxed and cannot contract, caused by botulinum toxin inhibiting neurotransmitter release.

Prophage

An inserted genome of a bacteriophage within a host genome that produces the botulinum toxin in Clostridium botulinum.

Clostridium tetani

A gram positive, anaerobic, spore forming bacillus bacteria found in soil, dust, and animal feces that causes tetanus.

Tetanospasmin

A neurotoxin released by Clostridium tetani that blocks inhibitory neurons from releasing neurotransmitters that relax muscles.

Spastic paralysis

A state of continuous extreme muscle spasms and contractility where muscles are unable to relax.

Lockjaw

An early name for tetanus based on the identifiable sign of facial masseter contraction that impedes opening the mouth or swallowing.

Clostridium perfringens

A gram positive, anaerobic, spore forming bacillus bacteria found in soil, water, and animal intestinal tracts that causes gas gangrene.

Perforginal Lysin

An alpha toxin released by Clostridium perfringens that creates holes in cell membranes, disrupting osmotic regulation and leading to cell lysis.

Debridement

The surgical removal of necrotic tissue.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

A treatment method that oxygenates tissue to reduce the anaerobic environment needed by bacteria like Clostridium perfringens.

Gangrene

Necrosis or tissue death occurring in an extremity.