The bacterium Vibrio cholerae causes a disease, cholera. Infected people have se

Question

The bacterium Vibrio cholerae causes a disease, cholera. Infected people have severe diarrhea and any lose up to twenty liters of fluid a day. V. Cholerae enters the body when someone drinks contaminated water, then it adheres to the intestinal lining. The bacterium secretes a metabolic product that is toxic to cells of human intestinal lining, and the intestinal lining cells in turn secrete chloride ions. Sodium ions follow the chloride ions into the intestinal fluid. Explain how the series of ions movement causes the massive fluid loss. The bacterium Vibrio cholerae causes a disease, cholera. Infected people have severe diarrhea and any lose up to twenty liters of fluid a day. V. Cholerae enters the body when someone drinks contaminated water, then it adheres to the intestinal lining. The bacterium secretes a metabolic product that is toxic to cells of human intestinal lining, and the intestinal lining cells in turn secrete chloride ions. Sodium ions follow the chloride ions into the intestinal fluid. Explain how the series of ions movement causes the massive fluid loss.

Explanation / Answer

Cholera bacteria turns on the protein productions of the toxin which interact with host cells mechanism to pump chloride ions into the small intestine, which creats an ionic pressure which prevent sodium ions from entering the cell. The chloride and sodium ion creates a salt-water environment in small intestine, which by osmosis can pull up to six liters of water per day through the intestinal cells, creating the massive amounts of diarrhea. The host becomes rapidly dehydrated if an appropriate mixture of dilute salt water and sugar is not taken to replace the blood's water and salts lost in the diarrhea.

We know that wherever the salt moves,the water follows". As we know that a very large portion of water being absorbed through the intestines, and when cells in the walls of the intestine die water cannot be absorbed, which causes in the loss of water.

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