BRAINCAKEEndotoxins
Endotoxins are lipopolysaccharides (LPS): molecules made of a lipid part joined to a chain of carbohydrate. They are built into the outer membrane of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli. The toxic part is the lipid, called lipid A.
Because endotoxins are part of the cell structure, they are not secreted. They are released mainly when bacteria die and break open, for example when they are attacked by the immune system or by some antibiotics. Small amounts are also shed from the surface of growing cells.
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Key terms in this lesson
- macrophage
- A phagocytic white blood cell that engulfs and digests pathogens and can present their antigens to other immune cells.
More in Bacteria and Disease
- Growth of Bacterial Colonies
- Logarithmic Scale
- Exponential Growth
- Bacterial Toxins
- Salmonella spp.
- Exotoxins
- Staphylococcus spp.
- Host Tissue Invasion
All 30 lessons in Bacteria and Disease · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics