BRAINCAKEMycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the rod-shaped bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). It has an unusually thick, waxy cell wall that is rich in lipids (mycolic acids). It grows very slowly, dividing only about once every 15 to 20 hours.
Transmission. TB spreads by airborne droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It spreads most easily in crowded, poorly ventilated living conditions.
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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
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- Staphylococcus spp.
- Host Tissue Invasion
- Antibiotics
- Broad-spectrum, Narrow spectrum, Bacteriostatic and Bactericidal
- Antimetabolites
- Protein synthesis Inhibitors
All 30 lessons in Bacteria and Disease · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics