Textbook Question
Why did epidemiologists immediately suspect terrorism in the cases of anthrax in the fall of 2001?
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Ch. 19 - Pathogenic Gram-Positive Bacteria
Bauman6th EditionMicrobiology with Diseases by TaxonomyISBN: 9780134832302
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - A Brief History of Microbiology31
- Ch. 2 - The Chemistry of Microbiology28
- Ch. 3 - Cell Structure and Function39
- Ch. 4 - Microscopy, Staining, and Classification25
- Ch. 5 - Microbial Metabolism51
- Ch. 6 - Microbial Nutrition and Growth37
- Ch. 7 - Microbial Genetics51
- Ch. 8 - Recombinant DNA Technology21
- Ch. 9 - Controlling Microbial Growth in the Environment36
- Ch. 10 - Controlling Microbial Growth in the Body: Antimicrobial Drugs21
- Ch. 11 - Characterizing and Classifying Prokaryotes29
- Ch. 12 - Characterizing and Classifying Eukaryotes34
- Ch. 13 - Characterizing and Classifying Viruses, Viroids, and Prions23
- Ch. 14 - Infection, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology35
- Ch. 15 - Innate Immunity34
- Ch. 16 - Adaptive Immunity21
- Ch. 17 - Immunization and Immune Testing29
- Ch. 18 - Immune Disorders22
- Ch. 19 - Pathogenic Gram-Positive Bacteria25
- Ch. 20 - Pathogenic Gram-Negative Cocci and Bacilli28
- Ch. 21 - Rickettsias, Chlamydias, Spirochetes, and Vibrios25
- Ch. 22 - Pathogenic Fungi47
- Ch. 23 - Parasitic Protozoa, Helminths, and Arthropod Vectors44
- Ch. 24 - Pathogenic DNA Viruses23
- Ch. 25 - Pathogenic RNA Viruses30
- Ch. 26 - Applied and Industrial Microbiology29
- Ch. 27 - Microbial Ecology and Microbiomes22
Bauman6th EditionMicrobiology with Diseases by TaxonomyISBN: 9780134832302Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 19, Problem 10
Explain the action of the toxin of Clostridium tetani.
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Identify that the toxin produced by Clostridium tetani is called tetanospasmin, which is a neurotoxin responsible for the symptoms of tetanus.
Understand that tetanospasmin acts by targeting the central nervous system, specifically the inhibitory neurons that regulate muscle contraction.
Explain that the toxin enters the peripheral nervous system at the site of infection and travels retrograde along motor neurons to the spinal cord.
Describe how tetanospasmin blocks the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine by cleaving synaptobrevin, a protein essential for neurotransmitter vesicle fusion.
Conclude that this inhibition leads to unregulated muscle contraction and spastic paralysis, which are characteristic of tetanus.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Clostridium tetani and Its Characteristics
Clostridium tetani is a Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium responsible for tetanus. It thrives in low-oxygen environments like deep wounds, producing a potent neurotoxin. Understanding its biology helps explain how infection and toxin production occur.
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Intro to Characteristics of Infectious Disease
Tetanospasmin (Tetanus Toxin) Structure and Mechanism
Tetanospasmin is the neurotoxin produced by C. tetani, composed of heavy and light chains. It binds to peripheral nerves, travels retrograde to the central nervous system, and blocks inhibitory neurotransmitter release, causing muscle rigidity and spasms.
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Pathophysiology of Tetanus Toxin Action
The toxin inhibits release of inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA and glycine in the spinal cord, leading to unregulated motor neuron firing. This results in sustained muscle contractions and characteristic symptoms such as lockjaw and muscle spasms.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Why is mycolic acid a virulence factor for mycobacteria?
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Textbook Question
Explain why Staphylococcus epidermidis is rarely pathogenic while the similar S. aureus is more commonly virulent.
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Textbook Question
In which of the following diseases would a patient experience a pseudomembrane covering the tonsils, pharynx, and larynx?
a. Tuberculoid leprosy
b. Diphtheria
c. Arrhythmia
d. Tetanus
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Textbook Question
Which of the following is not characteristic of mycoplasmas?
a. Cytochromes
b. Sterols in cytoplasmic membranes
c. Use of UGA codon for tryptophan
d. rRNA nucleotide sequences similar to those of Gram-positive bacteria
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Textbook Question
Compare and contrast mycoplasmas and viruses.
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