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Ch. 24 - Microbial Diseases of the Respiratory System
Tortora - Microbiology: An Introduction 14th Edition
Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksTortora 14th EditionCh. 24 - Microbial Diseases of the Respiratory SystemProblem 8
Chapter 24, Problem 8

Which of the following leads to all the rest?
a. Catarrhal stage
b. Cough
c. Loss of cilia
d. Mucus accumulation
e. Tracheal cytotoxin

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the context of the problem, which relates to the pathogenesis of respiratory infections, specifically focusing on the sequence of events in the respiratory tract during infection.
Step 2: Identify the role of each option: (a) catarrhal stage is an early phase of infection characterized by inflammation and mucus production; (b) cough is a reflex to clear mucus and irritants; (c) loss of cilia refers to damage to the ciliated epithelial cells that normally help clear mucus; (d) mucus accumulation results from impaired clearance; (e) tracheal cytotoxin is a bacterial toxin that damages ciliated cells.
Step 3: Recognize that tracheal cytotoxin (option e) causes damage to the ciliated epithelial cells, leading to loss of cilia (option c).
Step 4: Understand that loss of cilia impairs mucus clearance, causing mucus accumulation (option d).
Step 5: Mucus accumulation and irritation then trigger cough (option b), and these events occur during the catarrhal stage (option a), which is the clinical phase encompassing these symptoms.

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Key Concepts

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

Tracheal Cytotoxin

Tracheal cytotoxin is a bacterial toxin produced by Bordetella pertussis that damages the ciliated epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. This toxin disrupts the normal function of cilia, leading to impaired clearance of mucus and pathogens.
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Loss of Cilia

Loss of cilia refers to the destruction or dysfunction of the hair-like structures lining the respiratory tract. Without cilia, mucus cannot be effectively moved out of the airways, resulting in mucus accumulation and increased susceptibility to infection.
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Mucus Accumulation and Cough

Mucus accumulation occurs when impaired ciliary action prevents mucus clearance, causing it to build up in the airways. This triggers the cough reflex, a protective mechanism to clear mucus and irritants from the respiratory tract, often seen during the catarrhal stage of respiratory infections.
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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

Causes the formation of a membrane across the throat.

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Textbook Question

List the causative agent, mode of transmission, and endemic area for the diseases histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, and Pneumocystis pneumonia.

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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

Briefly describe the procedures and positive results of the tuberculin test and what is indicated by a positive test.

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