Textbook Question
Consider the following case. An animal was infected with a virus. A mosquito bit the animal, was contaminated with the virus, and proceeded to bite and infect a person. Which was the vector?
a. Animal
b. Virus
c. Mosquito
d. Person
Ch. 14 - Infection, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology
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 14, Problem 10
Endotoxin, also known as ___________, is part of the outer (wall) membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that endotoxins are toxic components associated with the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.
Recall that the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria contains lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are large molecules consisting of a lipid and a polysaccharide.
Recognize that the toxic part of the lipopolysaccharide is called lipid A, which is responsible for the endotoxin activity.
Therefore, the term 'endotoxin' refers specifically to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) complex found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.
Summarize that endotoxin = lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a key structural and toxic component of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Endotoxin
Endotoxins are toxic components found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. They are released when the bacteria die or their cell walls break down, triggering strong immune responses in the host.
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02:46
Endotoxin
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the chemical structure that constitutes endotoxin. It consists of lipid A, a core polysaccharide, and an O antigen, and is responsible for the toxic effects associated with endotoxins.
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03:59Structure of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
Gram-negative Bacterial Cell Wall
Gram-negative bacteria have a unique cell wall structure with an outer membrane containing LPS, a thin peptidoglycan layer, and an inner membrane. This structure differentiates them from Gram-positive bacteria and is key to endotoxin presence.
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3:04Gram-Negative Cell Walls
Related Practice
Textbook Question
Which of the following types of epidemiologists is most like a detective?
a. Descriptive epidemiologist
b. Analytical epidemiologist
c. Experimental epidemiologist
d. Reservoir epidemiologist
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Textbook Question
Which of the following statements is the best definition of a pandemic disease?
a. It normally occurs in a given geographic area.
b, It is a disease that occurs more frequently than usual for a geographical area or group of people.
c. It occurs infrequently at no predictable time scattered over a large area or population.
d. It is an epidemic that occurs on more than one continent at the same time.
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Textbook Question
A disease in which a pathogen remains inactive for a long period of time before becoming active is termed a(n) :
a. Subacute disease
b. Acute disease
c. Chronic disease
d. Latent disease
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Textbook Question
An animal that carries a pathogen and also serves as host for the pathogen is a ___________ vector.
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Textbook Question
When pathogenic bacterial cells lose the ability to make adhesins, they typically .
a. Become avirulent
b. Produce endotoxin
c. Absorb endotoxin
d. Increase in virulence
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