bacteria quiz patho

Capsule (function)

Protects from the environment and host immune system

Capsule (How it can cause disease)

Camouflages the bacterium from immune system

Flagellum (function)

Direct movement to or away from certain molecules

Flagellum (How it can cause disease)

Different proteins can build the flagella and the bacterium can decide which one to make to avoid recognition by the immune system

What is the difference between Gram positive cell wall?

Gram-positive bacteria have a thick cell wall, while Gram-negative bacteria have a thin layer plus an outer membrane.

Gram positive cell wall (function)

Protection from the environment, maintaining normal osmotic pressure inside the cell

Gram positive cell wall (How it can cause disease)

Specific molecules on the surface trigger inflammation and septic shock, recognized as foreign molecules by the immune system, easier to treat by antibiotics

Gram negative cell wall (function)

Protection from the environment maintaining normal osmotic pressure inside the cell

Gram negative cell wall (How it can cause disease)

Toxin and inactivates antibiotics = outer membrane, has a potent toxin to humans, outer membrane contains enzymes that can degrade antibiotics (more resistant to antibiotics)

Pili (function)

Attach to help bacteria stick to surfaces

Pili (How it can cause disease)

Attach easily and hard to remove, can form biofilms which are very hard to treat

Spores (function)

Escape mechanism for bacterial cells during starvation and protects genetic materials from harsh environmental factors

Spores (How it can cause disease)

Hibernates = highly resistant to harsh environments, can stay dormant for decades but reactivate successfully and cause disease

Plasmid (function)

How bacteria get new genes

Plasmid (How it can cause disease)

Some carry antibiotic resistance or toxin genes

Nucleoid (function)

Contains the genes that defines a bacterial organism

Nucleoid (How it can cause disease)

Determines what structures will be present in a cell