please help How might the acid-fast characteristic of Mycobacterium enhance the
ID: 58009 • Letter: P
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please help How might the acid-fast characteristic of Mycobacterium enhance the organism's. ability to cause, diseases Clinical sections suspected of containing Mycobacterium are digested with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for .30 minutes prior to Blaming. Why is this technique used? Why isn't this technique used for staining other bacteria? The acid-fast stain is used to detect Cryptosporidium protozoa in fecal sample. Which of the following would you expect to be a major component of their cell walls: carbohydrates, lipids, or proteins? What disease is caused by Cryptosporidium? In 1882, after experimenting with staining Mycobacterium. Paul Ehrlich wrote that only alkaline disinfectants would be effective against Mycobacterium. How did he reach this conclusion without testing the disinfectants?Explanation / Answer
1. The Mycobacteria possess a very unique cell envelope which is made of lipids (mycolic acid) that are densely packed- this leads them to be stained by the acid-fast method. The presence of this outer envelope makes the Mycobacteria resistant & impermeable to various harmful toxins & thus ensures prolonged survival of the Mycobacteria within the host cell- this enhances Mycobacteria's ability ot cause diseases.
2. Clinical specimens susceptible to contain Mycobacteria are sputum or mucous containing specimen. These specimens may contain slow growing Mycobateria along with other contaminating micro-organisms.
Sodium hydroxide acts as a decontaminant; it breas down the mucoid specimen & prevents the growth of the contaminating micro-organisms, allowing Mycobacteria only to grow.
Mycobacteria has a thick envelope that protects it from NaOH; however other bacteria do not have such envelope & so if treated by NaOH, might die off.
3. LIPIDS; (Mycolic acid is responsible for the characteristic acid -fast staining of thee micro-organisms- it is a long chain fatty acid present in the cell envelope).
Cryptosporidim causes Cryptosporidiosis, a disease of the intestinal tract - which is characterised by acute, watery & non-bloody diarrhoea.
4. Paul Ehlrich found out while staining Mycobacteria that these micro-organisms are resistant to acid; that is why these do not declorise even in presence of acid- alcohol. So he hypothesized that alkaline disinfectants may be effective against Mycobacteria.
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