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3) Surviving Inside Phagocytic Cells quiz

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  • What is the main function of phagocytic cells like macrophages in the immune system?
    Phagocytic cells engulf and digest pathogens to eliminate them from the body.
  • During phagocytosis, what structure encloses the pathogen inside the phagocyte?
    The pathogen is enclosed within a phagosome.
  • What typically happens to a phagosome after it engulfs a pathogen?
    The phagosome usually fuses with a lysosome, forming a phagolysosome where the pathogen is digested.
  • How can some bacteria avoid being digested after being engulfed by a phagocyte?
    Some bacteria escape from the phagosome before it fuses with the lysosome, avoiding degradation.
  • What is one mechanism bacteria use to block their destruction inside phagocytes?
    They produce inhibitory proteins that prevent the fusion of the phagosome with the lysosome.
  • How do some bacteria survive even after the phagosome and lysosome have fused?
    They have evolved to withstand the harsh, enzyme-rich environment of the phagolysosome.
  • What is the role of opsonins in phagocytosis?
    Opsonins coat the pathogen, making it easier for phagocytes to recognize and engulf it.
  • Why is escaping the phagosome before lysosome fusion advantageous for bacteria?
    It allows bacteria to avoid exposure to digestive enzymes that would otherwise destroy them.
  • What happens if a pathogen blocks phagosome-lysosome fusion?
    The pathogen remains undigested inside the phagosome and can survive within the phagocyte.
  • What is a phagolysosome?
    A phagolysosome is the structure formed when a phagosome fuses with a lysosome, containing digestive enzymes.
  • Name one way bacteria can survive inside a phagocytic cell.
    Bacteria can escape the phagosome, block phagosome-lysosome fusion, or survive inside the phagolysosome.
  • What is the purpose of lysosomal enzymes in phagocytosis?
    Lysosomal enzymes digest and break down the engulfed pathogen.
  • How do pathogens that survive inside phagocytes evade the immune system?
    They persist within host cells, avoiding detection and destruction by immune defenses.
  • What is the significance of a pathogen's ability to survive inside phagolysosomes?
    It allows the pathogen to resist even the most potent digestive mechanisms of the immune cell.
  • Why is surviving inside phagocytic cells a successful immune evasion strategy for pathogens?
    It enables pathogens to hide from and resist the immune system, increasing their chances of survival and infection.