In Order to Cause an Infection a Microorganism Must Be

Question

In order to cause an infection a microorganism must be able to
A)gain access to the host.
B)adhere to host tissue.
C)resist or evade host defences.
D)damage host tissue.
E)all of the above.

Accepted Answer

For a microorganism to cause an infection it must possess all the attributes mentioned in the choices. It must first gain access to the host by penetrating the skin or entering through orifices. Once inside, the microorganism must adhere to host tissues to avoid being removed by host defence mechanisms, which include mucous membranes, tears, and white blood cells. The microorganism must then resist or evade host defences such as phagocytosis or antibody binding in order to survive and replicate. Finally, the microorganism must damage host tissue to cause an infection that manifests as disease symptoms. Therefore, all the options mentioned in the choices are necessary for a microorganism to cause an infection.