19.1 Gut Flora

Question 1

What does tissue tropism describe?

Answer 1

the tendency for bacteria to occupy specific areas of the GIT depending on their own Niche preferences

Question 2

What kind if flora exist in the mouth and small and large intestines?

Answer 2

predominantly anaerobes

Question 3

What specific bacteria largely exists in the mouth?

Answer 3

streptococci

Question 4

In the mouth, how can organisms survive?

Answer 4

adhering to gums and teeth

glycocalyx

Question 5

What is a glycocalyx?

Answer 5

a covering of some bacteria

Question 6

What limits the passage of bacteria from the bowel though circulation?

Answer 6

Kupffer macrophage in the liver

Question 7

What might happen to bacteria in the portal vein in cirrhosis?

Answer 7

they can enter peri-hepatic lymphatics, and hence th peritoneum

Question 8

What might ingestion of Campylobacter spp cause?

Answer 8

gastroenteritis

Question 9

What might ingestion of Escherichia coli cause?

Answer 9

haemorrhagic colitis
haemolytic uraemic syndrome
renal failure

Question 10

What are faecoliths and what problems might they cause?

Answer 10

little pellets of poo

might block the appendix lumen, allowing trapped flora to reproduce behind the obstruction, leading to peritonitis maybe