Ch. 24 - Microbial Diseases of the Respiratory System

Tortora - Microbiology: An Introduction 14th Edition

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Tortora 14th Edition

Ch. 24 - Microbial Diseases of the Respiratory System

Problem 9

Chapter 24, Problem 9

Match the following choices to the statement in the question given below:
a. Bordetella pertussis
b. Corynebacterium diphtheriae
c. Legionella pneumophila
d. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
e. None of the above
Causes the formation of a membrane across the throat.

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Understand the symptom described — the formation of a membrane across the throat is a hallmark clinical feature.

Step 2: Recall the diseases caused by each bacterium listed: Bordetella pertussis causes whooping cough; Corynebacterium diphtheriae causes diphtheria; Legionella pneumophila causes Legionnaires' disease; Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis.

Step 3: Identify which disease is characterized by a pseudomembrane forming in the throat, which can obstruct breathing.

Step 4: Match the bacterium responsible for that disease to the statement. The bacterium that causes diphtheria is known for producing a toxin that leads to membrane formation in the throat.

Step 5: Conclude that the correct match for the statement 'Causes the formation of a membrane across the throat' is the bacterium that causes diphtheria.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Diphtheria

Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the bacterium responsible for diphtheria, a disease characterized by the formation of a thick, gray membrane in the throat. This membrane can obstruct breathing and is caused by the bacterial toxin damaging epithelial cells and causing inflammation.

Bacterial Toxins and Pathogenesis

Certain bacteria produce exotoxins that damage host tissues and contribute to disease symptoms. In diphtheria, the diphtheria toxin inhibits protein synthesis in host cells, leading to cell death and membrane formation, which is a key factor in the disease's severity.

Clinical Manifestations of Respiratory Bacterial Infections

Respiratory bacterial infections can present with distinct symptoms and signs, such as membrane formation, coughing, or pneumonia. Recognizing these clinical features helps in identifying the causative agent, as seen with the membrane in diphtheria caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

Match the following choices to the statement in the question given below:

a. Bordetella pertussis

b. Corynebacterium diphtheriae

c. Legionella pneumophila

d. Mycobacterium tuberculosis

e. None of the above

Resistant to destruction by phagocytes.

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Textbook Question

Identify the bacteria involved in respiratory infections using the following laboratory test results:

Gram-positive cocci

Catalase-positive: a. ____________________________________

Catalase-negative

Beta-hemolytic, bacitracin inhibition: b. ____________________________________

Alpha-hemolytic, optochin inhibition: c. ____________________________________

Gram-positive rods

Non-acid-fast: d. ____________________________________

Acid-fast: e. ____________________________________

Gram-negative cocci: f. ____________________________________

Gram-negative rods

Aerobes

Coccobacilli: g. ____________________________________

Rods

Grow on nutrient agar: h. ____________________________________

Require special media: i. ____________________________________

Facultative anaerobes

Coccobacilli: j. ____________________________________

Intracellular parasites

Form elementary bodies: k. ____________________________________

Do not form elementary bodies: l. ____________________________________

Wall-less: m. ____________________________________

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Textbook Question

In San Francisco, ten animal health care technicians developed pneumonia 2 weeks after 130 goats were moved to the animal shelter where they worked. Which of the following is false?

a. Diagnosis is made by a blood agar culture of sputum.

b. The cause is Coxiella burnetii.

c. The bacteria produce endospores.

d. The disease was transmitted by aerosols.

e. Diagnosis is made by complement-fixation tests for antibodies.

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Textbook Question

These aerobic, gram-negative bacteria produce tracheal cytotoxin that kills ciliated cells of the trachea.

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Textbook Question