Steps for Infection

Multiple Choice

Why is the portal of entry significant in the process of infection?

• It determines how a pathogen exits the host

• It is the site where a pathogen enters and can influence disease development

• It is always the main site affected by disease

• It prevents pathogens from causing disease

Open Ended

How do you think the integumentary system helps protect the body from pathogens, and why might some pathogens be able to bypass these defenses?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a way pathogens can enter the body as described in the slides?

• Otic entry

• Abrasions

• Photosynthesis

• Surgical incisions

Multiple Select

Select all the ways pathogens can enter the body through the urogenital tract as described in the slides.

• Through the mucosal lining of the vagina or cervix

• Through the skin of the genitalia

• Through the urethra

• Through the conjunctiva

Multiple Select

Which of the following are examples of bacterial adhesins?

• Cell wall components

• Capsules

• Fimbriae and pili

• Antibodies

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes the function of adhesins in pathogenic cells?

• Include molecules that are typically found deep inside the pathogenic cell.

• Are limited to only a few known types.

• Allow pathogens to stick to host tissues only in a nonspecific manner.

• Include molecules that bind to host factors such as fibronectin, sialic acid, and heparin / heparin sulfate.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are mechanisms by which invasins help pathogens invade host tissues?

• Break down host tissues

• Form blood clots

• Induce the host to uptake the pathogen

• Produce antibodies

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a way bacteria induce cytopathic effects in the host?

• Invade host cells

• Release toxins

• Exploit host nutrients

• Transform normal cells into cancer cells

Multiple Select

Which of the following are examples of intracellular bacteria?

• Listeria monocytogenes

• Herpes viruses

• Salmonella species

• Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Multiple Select

Which of the following is a cause of antigenic variation in pathogens?

• Release of toxins

• Mutations in the genome

• Exploiting host nutrients

• Change in protein expression

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a way pathogens limit the immune system’s actions?

• Interfering with phagocytosis

• Suppressing the immune response

• Enhancing antibody production

• Blocking immune cell signaling

Multiple Select

Which of the following are mechanisms pathogens use to avoid phagocytosis?

• Making a capsule

• Blocking fusion of the phagosome with the lysosome

• Neutralizing enzymes of the phagocytes

• Producing antibodies

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a way pathogens suppress immune function?

• Directly targeting immune system cells

• Increasing antibody production

• Stimulating interleukin transcription

• Enhancing molecular signaling

Open Ended

Describe how symptoms generated by a pathogen can facilitate its transmission to a new host.

Multiple Choice

What is the most common portal of entry for pathogens into the host?

• Mucous membranes

• Skin

• Bloodstream

• Digestive tract

Multiple Choice

Which of the following could serve as a reservoir for a pathogen?

• Environmental niche (e.g., soil or water)

• An organism (e.g., humans or animals)

• Fomites

• All of the above

Open Ended

Reflecting on what you learned today, how do you think the integumentary system helps protect the body from pathogens, and what are some ways pathogens might overcome these defenses?