Which of the Following is a Reason That Specific Pathogens

Question

Which of the following is a reason that specific pathogens tend to infect specific tissues?
A) Some tissues have receptors for microbes, but others do not.
B) There are chemical and physical differences between tissues.
C) Tissues with neutral pH are colonized but those with acidic or alkaline pH are not.
D) Microbes preferentially target external tissues, such as skin, as the environment is more favorable for their growth than inside the body.

Accepted Answer

Different tissues have different types of cells, extracellular matrix, and chemical and physical conditions. Pathogens have evolved specific virulence factors to recognize and exploit these differences to infect specific host tissues. For example, Streptococcus pneumoniae has adhesins that bind to specific receptors on respiratory epithelial cells, allowing it to infect the lungs.