Gram Positive Rods Flashcards
What are the two genuses of endospore forming bacteria?
Bacillus and clostridium
What are the two important species in the bacillus genus and what do they cause>
Bacillus anthracis causes anthrax, disease of livestock and animals.
Bacillus cereus - causes food poisoning through poorly cooked rice dishes.
What are the 4 important species in the clostridium genus and what do they cause?
Clostridium perfringens causes gas gangrene and necrotising bowel disease.
Clostridium tetani causes tetanus
Clostridium botulinum causes botulism - paralysis of eye, face and limbs.
Clostridioides difficile causes diarrhoea.
What are the non-endospore forming GPRs?
Lactobacillus, listeria, corynebacterium, actinomycetes
What is the role of lactobacillus
Ability to convert glucose into lactic acid, lowering pH. Play an important role in maintenance of vaginal pH.
What does genus listeria do?
Causes flu-like illness.
Characterised by infection from dairy products and undercooked chicken.
What is the morphology of corynebacterium and what is its key species that causes disease?
Characterised by small, irregular rods. Corynebacterium diphtheriae causes diphtheria
What is the characteristic morphology of Actinomycetes?
Branching, filamentous structure that resembles fungi.
What do aerobic and anaerobic Actinomycetes do?
Aerobic actinomycetes cause mycetoma, e.g. Nocardia.
Anaerobic actinomycetes cause actinomycosis – suppurative mass.
