1) Blind Men and an Elephant
Your Discussion should be 3-4 paragraphs in length, detailing your thoughts and position using 2-3 readings references for support. Also be sure to pose 1-2 well thought out questions from which your colleagues can formulate a response or generate further discussion.
Important: You will create a properly cited with an APA-formatted reference list.
Let’s see if when we describe the characteristics of microorganisms completely your colleagues will provide more accurate answers!
- Choose a pathogen that can invade the human body and research it in depth. Describe as many characteristics of the microscopic structure as possible, using size, shape (such as coccus), staining characteristics (such as Gram stain), or any detail other than its name. Include the transmission, etiology, and host of the disease. Try to provide a written “picture” in your colleagues’ minds without directly giving away the answer. Your description must be complete enough to rule out any other answers and avoid confusion (check your work by researching your organism’s characteristics before posting to be sure you could answer it yourself!).
Keep in mind the entire description. Although someone may describe an airborne bacterium that causes pneumonia, it does not necessarily mean the answer is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Staphylococcus aureus and Neisseria meningitidis both also have an airborne mode of transmission, cause typical pneumonia, and are both cocci bacteria, but one is Gram positive and one is Gram negative.
Resources to get you started
The Blind Men and the Elephant
2) Multiple Personality
In a 2-3 page paper, answer the following questions. In addition to the researched facts you present as your answer, you may provide opinions and real-world experiences where appropriate.
Choose a single microorganism that inhabits more than one body system. It should be considered a pathogen in at least one of the areas of the body. Attempt to choose an organism that is unique among your classmates’ selections.
One example includes Bacillus anthracis and its ability to infect the skin, muscles, respiratory system, and digestive tract. Another example is virulent strains of Escherichia coli and their link to gastroenteritis, neonatal meningitis, and urinary tract infections.
- Indicate the microorganism you have chosen and provide a summary of the body systems it may infect or inhabit.
- Describe the ways it interacts with those systems to live harmoniously with humans or cause disease. Rank the individual conditions in order of severity and the impact it may have on a human’s health.
- What are the differences in the severity of the infections between the body systems and what factors affect severity? Is the severity linked to a characteristic of the body system? Does the particular serotype or other characteristics of the organism play a role?
The Written Assignment should be 2-3 double spaced pages in length, not including title or reference pages. (No abstract is needed.) Make sure your assignment is APA format with double-spacing, Times New Roman, 12-point font, and 1” margins. Include citations and a list of references in APA format. Edit for spelling and grammar errors. You can get assistance with APA formatting at:
Resources to get you started
Anthrax
E.coli (Escherichia coli)
How to Solve 1) Blind Men and an Elephant Your Discussion should be 3-4 paragraphs in length, detailing your thoughts and position using 2-3 readings references for support. Also be sure to pose 1-2 well thought Nursing Assignment Help
Introduction:
As a medical professor in charge of creating college assignments and answers for medical college students, it is important to design tasks that enhance students’ critical thinking and research skills. The following are answers to given content regarding pathogen characteristics and interactions with the human body.
1) Blind Men and an Elephant:
The pathogen selected for this discussion is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is responsible for the disease tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis is a rod-shaped bacterium with a length of 2-4 micrometers and a width of 0.2-0.5 micrometers. It has a waxy capsule that allows it to resist drying out and withstand environmental stressors. It stains red in the acid-fast stain due to its high lipid content. M. tuberculosis is transmitted through inhalation of airborne droplets containing its bacilli, released through coughing or sneezing, and mainly affects the human lungs.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease that can be latent or active in the body, primarily infecting the lungs and causing cough that persists for weeks, chest pains, and fever. M. tuberculosis uses various virulence mechanisms, including resisting phagocytosis by macrophages and forming granulomas, which enable it to persist in the host. The granulomas help contain the infection by walling off the bacteria, but it also leads to a chronic inflammatory response that worsens the lung damage. In severe cases, the bacteria can disseminate to other organs, such as the bone, brain, or kidney.
My colleagues, what is the diagnostic testing process for identifying M. tuberculosis, and what are the treatment options for tuberculosis?
2) Multiple Personality:
The microorganism chosen is Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as Group A Streptococcus (GAS), which is responsible for several diseases, including pharyngitis, impetigo, necrotizing fasciitis, and scarlet fever. GAS is unique compared to other selections as it can inhabit several body systems, including the respiratory, skin, and soft tissue.
GAS produces virulence factors, such as M protein, which inhibits phagocytosis, and streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins (Spe), which cause the symptoms of scarlet fever and toxic shock syndrome. The severity of diseases caused by GAS depends on the severity of invasive infections, the presence of underlying medical conditions, and host immune response. For instance, pharyngitis and impetigo are relatively mild infections, while necrotizing fasciitis can cause tissue destruction and septicemia.
The severity of GAS infections is linked to the ability of Spe to act as superantigens, triggering massive inflammation and cytokine production. The factors that affect the severity of GAS infections include the presence of exotoxins, host genetic factors, and immune system status. Moreover, some strain-specific virulence factors, such as SpeA and SpeB, play a role in the development of severe GAS infections.
My colleagues, what are the diagnostic methods for identifying GAS infections, and what are the preventive measures to control these infections in healthcare facilities?
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Tuberculosis (TB). Retrieved from
2. Cunningham, M. W. (2019). Group A streptococcus. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 57(8), e01845-18.
