Answered: Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) 2.…

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)

11th Edition

ISBN:9780134580999

Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn

Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1RQ: The correct sequence of levels forming the structural hierarchy is A. (a) organ, organ system,...

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Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) 2. Shape and arrangement of your pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi more famously known as Lyme disease has a spiral shape and an arrangement called spirochete which are spiral-shaped bacteria that resemble a long coil. 3. Type of flagella, number, and correctly named arrangement of the flagella (example: monotrichous) Because Borrelia burgdorferi is a spirochete they have a unique way in which they move. They have what’s called axial filaments. Axial filaments lap themselves around the bacteria between the cell wall and an outer sheath and are bound at the ends of the bacteria. The fibrils then spin and help move the bacteria in a spiral form. A good example of this motion would be a drill and a drill bit. They are also known as Endoflagella. 4. Capsule or not (If yes, describe what is it made from) Borrelia burgdorferi doesn’t have capsules but what’s called a slime layer. In recent studies done by researcher Misha Kudryashev he was able to use cryo-electron tomography to take a detailed closer look at Borrelia burgdorferi and see its slime layer. “As in the detailed analysis by Kudryashev et al. (26), we observed the 4-nm lipid bilayer of the outer membrane and an additional electron-dense layer, which they described as a slime layer” (Intact Flagellar Motor of Borrelia burgdorferi, Liu). 5. Gram staining status OR acid-fast stain cell wall description. Explain why your pathogen has this status by describing your pathogen's cell wall structure. The gram staining status for Borrelia burgdorferi is a nontypical gram-negative meaning it can showcase being gram variable signifying that it can sometimes show up as gram-negative and gram-positive depending on the age of the sample. An acid-fast stain would not show up as Borrelia burgdorferi is a non-acid-fast bacteria. Borrelia burgdorferi comprises of an outer and inner membrane with a thin peptidoglycan layer and no teichoic acids. In the outer membrane of gram-negative cells, there are what’s called lipopolysaccharides that add to the overall structure. 6. Can it form endospores? If yes, explain when they form endospores. Borrelia burgdorferi is a gram-negative bacteria and is not one of the few gram-negative bacteria that produce any endospores. However, they usually form due to a lack of nutrients or unfavorable environmental conditions. They are created from the bacteria's DNA and cytoplasm, which is then wrapped in a tough exterior. 7. Where is your pathogen usually found? (Ex. soil, water, zoonosis, airborne, or maybe it only has a human host) Lyme disease is spread through ticks which get it from a reservoir host like mice. Ticks then have the capability to spread it to animals or humans. However, I would say the pathogen spends the most time in ticks as the tick acts as a vector for the reservoir host. Compare it to Mycobacterium tuberculosis

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