Objectives for Bacterial Pathogenesis: An Overview

Learning Objectives for "Bacterial Pathogenesis: An Overview and Quorum Sensing"

After completing this section you should be able to perform the following objectives.

1. Name 4 things an organism must be able to do to cause an infectious disease.

2. Define the following:

a. pathogenicity

b. virulence

3. Even though a microorganism may be considered pathogenic, it still may not be able to cause disease upon entering the body. Discuss why.

4. Define quorum sensing and briefly describe how cell-to-cell signaling between individuals of a population of bacteria may play a role in pathogenicity by: 1) promoting colonization of a new host; 2) enabling the bacterium to persist within that host; and 3) allowing some of the bacteria to spread to a new location within a host or to a new host.

5. Define pathogenicity islands (PAIs) and state how they are usually transmitted from one bacterium to another.

6. State the function of bacterial secretions systems such as the type 3 secretion in bacterial pathogenicity.

Think-Pair-Share Question

1. Briefly describe how quorum sensing in bacteria might play a role in a pathogen colonizing the body and causing an infection.

2. Briefly describe how the ability to produce a type 3 secretion system might play a role in a pathogen colonizing the body and causing an infection.

RETURN TO "BACTERIAL PATHOGENESIS: AN OVERVIEW AND QUORUM SENSING"