BRAINCAKEHost Tissue Invasion
To cause disease, many bacteria must first enter the body and invade host tissues. The ability to invade and cause disease is part of a pathogen's virulence.
Entry. Bacteria enter through breaks in the skin (cuts, bites, wounds), or through the mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive and reproductive tracts.
Attachment. Bacteria use hair-like projections called pili (fimbriae) and surface proteins to bind to receptors on host cells. This stops them being washed away by mucus, urine or gut contents.
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Key terms in this lesson
- phagocyte
- A white blood cell that engulfs and destroys pathogens by phagocytosis.
More in Bacteria and Disease
- Endotoxins
- Salmonella spp.
- Exotoxins
- Staphylococcus spp.
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Antibiotics
- Broad-spectrum, Narrow spectrum, Bacteriostatic and Bactericidal
- Antimetabolites
All 30 lessons in Bacteria and Disease · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics