Chapter 7 Flashcards
Why can’t mosquitoes transmit HIV?
Because mosquitoes don’t possess the host cells that can accept HIV
Possible, but there is no evidence
What is direct pathology?
When the microbe directly harms cells by its own means
What are some examples of direct pathology from a microbe?
Multiply within the host to cause rupture
Dormants can bud out of the cell without killing
What is indirect pathology?
When the pathogen uses the host’s immune system to evoke a response that damage the host
What are exotoxins?
Proteins that are secreted by parasites to cause serious damage
Can be encoded on plasmids/phages
Cause local infection
What are toxoids?
A toxin inactivated by formaldehyde used in vaccinations
Diptheria
Toxins are well conserved (streptococcal erythrotoxin causin scarlet fever)
What is good about toxins being well conserved?
Their structure is very similar between species of bacteria so you are able to have one vaccine for multiple bacteria
How do exotoxins use hemolysis?
They lyse not only red blood cells but many other cells
Using enzymes like phospholipase C produced by clostridium perfringenes
Using alpha toxin produced by staphylococcus aureus to form pores (works like complement system)
What does clostridium perfringenes cause?
Gas gangrene
How do exotoxins alter metabolic machinery?
There are two subunits of the AB toxin.
A subunit (active) goes in to the cell and does the work
B subunit (binding) provides specificity to the toxin and is responsible for attachment to the host cell
Can be lots of variation in numbers of subunits
Cholera toxin has 5 B subunits and 1 A subunit
What are some examples of exotoxins that alter metabolic machinery?
The diptheria toxin inhibits protein synthesis so the cell will die, creating a mass of dead cells at the site of infection.
The cholera toxin causes ions to leak from the cell into the lumen, water follows.
How do exotoxins interfere with nerve-muscle transmission?
The B subunit of AB toxins bind to ganglioside receptors on nerve cells.
Botulinum and tetanus
How does tetanus interfere with nerve-muscle transmission?
Tetanus binds to nerve cell receptor and the A subunit is carried to the CNS and inhibits synthesis of the neurotransmitter that allows for relaxation of muscles so they are continuously stimulated, causing spastic paralysis.
How does botulinum interfere with nerve-muscle transmission?
Botulinum toxin binds to peripheral nerve endings at the neuromuscular junction and blocks acetylcholine release, blocking contraction of muscles causing flaccid paralysis.
What is diarrhea?
The invariable result of intestinal infections that allows the host to get rid of the infecting organism and allows the parasite to spread to fresh hosts
Why may antidiarrheal drugs not be good?
Ex: Immodium desensitizes the epithelial cells to stop diarrhea. This allows bacteria to continue replicating and producing more toxin.
What is the immune system very good at and not very good at?
Very good at distinguishing itself from foreign things
Bad at giving an appropriate response (overactivation resulting in host tissue damage)
What are endotoxins?
Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) which are found in the cell wall that are released when cells die.
Cause systemic infection