Microbiology - NCLEX-PN

Bell's palsy is associated with reactivation of herpes simplex 1, a human herpes virus that can exist in latent form in the dorsal root ganglia of nerves in the head and neck. Reactivation of the virus causes the temporary unilateral facial paralysis associated with Bell's palsy.

In adult populations, cytomegalovirus poses the greatest risk to immunocompromised individuals, such as people on immunosuppressive drugs or in HIV patients who have developed AIDS. In pregnant people, CMV generally does not pose a risk to the mother, but rather to the fetus. Athletes and teens that are not immunocompromised often will have mild or unnoticeable symptoms when infected with CMV.

Gram negative strains of bacteria possess more lipopolysaccharide than do Gram positive strains. This higher proportion of lipopolysaccharide lies on the exterior of Gram negative bacteria's outer membranes of their cell walls. Gram negative bacteria have significantly less peptidoglycan than do Gram positive strains, which accounts for their observable chromatic differences when using the Gram stain technique. Specifically, the this thin layer of peptidoglycan in Gram negative bacteria fails to retain crystal violet during Gram staining, especially after iodine is added, which acts as a mordant. Subsequent staining with safranin gives Gram negative bacteria a pink or light red color when viewed under a light microscope. Teichoic acid, present in Gram positive bacteria only, functions to increase the rigidity of the cell wall. Murein is another name for peptidoglycan.

Plasmids are found only in prokaryotes. In bacteria, they are transferred either via conjugation, transduction, or transformation. Both prokaryotes and eukaryotes contain ribosomes, however the subunits of eukaryotes are smaller (have a lower sedimentation rate). Both can contain flagella, but they differ in complexity and type of motion. Only eukaryotes contain mitochondria, which is the site of the Krebs cycle, beta-oxidation of fatty acids, and electron transport.

Bordetella pertussis is a Gram negative, rod-shaped aerobe. It requires oxygen to function and commonly infects the respiratory tract of young children, causing whooping cough.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a Gram negative coccus bacterium that generally presents as a diplococcus (in pairs of cocci).

_Staphyloccocus aureus are Gram positive cocci. Chlamydia trachomatis and Rikettsia prowazekii are both classified as Gram negative rods and Neisseria meningitidis are Gram negative cocci.

All of the bacteria listed are Gram positive except Salmonella, which is a Gram negative facultative rod.

Vibrio cholerae is classified as Gram negative facultative rods. This bacteria is the most well known amongst the Vibrio species as it's the cause of cholera, which produces a toxin that causes very severe diarrhea.

Bacteria or any other microbes that feed on dead matter are termed saprophytes. Thermophilic microbes thrive in heated environments, halophiles such as _Vibrio parahaemolyticu_s prefer salt water, and archaebacteria are a group of bacteria found in high heat, high salt content locations such as sewage treatment plants and are able to tolerate many extreme habitats.

E. coli is a Gram negative rod. It's a lactose fermenting bacteria commonly implicated in urinary tract infections and less frequently in gastroenteritis.

Staphylococcus species are Gram positive, catalase positive cocci. The most famous member of this bacterial species, Staphylococcus aureus, is commonly implicated in skin infections, upper respiratory infections, and gastroenteritis (food poisoning).

The Gram stain is a test used to help classify bacteria based on the presence of peptidoglycan in the cell wall. Bacteria with a thick peptidoglycan cell wall will stain dark purple, and are termed Gram positive. On the other hand, if there is no peptidoglycan cell wall (or a very thin one), it will show up as pink. This is termed Gram negative. This distinction is particularly important when prescribing classes of antibiotics, as the cell wall is commonly targeted by antibiotics.

Botulism toxin inhibits acetylcholine release from the presynaptic nerve terminal, causing flaccid paralysis. Death in botulism exposure is generally due to respiratry failure. Tonic paralysis is the cause of respiratory arrest in other toxicity exposures, such as exposure to tetanus toxin.

Rickettsia rickettsii causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and is spread by dermacentor ticks. It causes fever, headache, muscle pain, and a rash. Borrelia burgdorferi is associated with Lyme disease, e_hrlichia chaffeensis_ is associated with human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis, andr_ickettsia helvetica_ is associated (very rarely) with meningitis.

While all of the listed organisms can cause diarrhea, Cryptosporidium, a protozoa, is the most commonly isolated organism in HIV positive patients presenting with diarrhea.

30% of cases of Guillain-Barré are preceded by infection by C_ampylobacter jejuni._ There is no known association between S_taphylococcus aureus, Salmonella,_ or E.coli and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

The most commonly implicated bacteria in epiglottiits are H. influenzae type B, Streptococcus spp, and Staphylococcus aureus. _Campylobacter jejuni is a common cause of food poisoning.

The question requires the knowledge that Escherichia coli is a facultative, Gram negative, lactose fermenting bacteria. EMB (eosin methylene blue), or Mac (MacConkey) media is superior for isolating Escherichia coli because it is both selective and differential. Nutrient agar is neither selective nor differential. Selenium enriched media would not help identify this bacteria because Escherichia coli does not require this supplemented media to grow. Phenethyl alcohol can be used to select for anaerobic bacteria, which is of no utility in this situation.