UPUMS Nsg.Officer-2024
Applied Microbiology & Infection control
Easy
Which among the following are "Spirochetes"?
Appeared in: UPUMS Nsg.Officer-2024
Explanation
- Treponema pallidum is a member of the order Spirochaetales, which are characterized by their unique spiral shape.
- Spirochetes are long, thin, flexible, and helically coiled bacteria.
- They are distinguished by their motility, which is achieved using internal axial filaments known as endoflagella.
- Treponema pallidum is clinically significant as the bacterium that causes syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection.
- Other medically important spirochete genera include Borrelia (causes Lyme disease) and Leptospira (causes leptospirosis).
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: Corynebacterium diphtheriae is a bacillus, which means it is rod-shaped (specifically, club-shaped). It is not a spiral-shaped spirochete.
- Option C: Spirillum is a different class of spiral bacteria. Unlike the flexible spirochetes with internal flagella, spirilla are rigid and move using external flagella.
- Option D: Streptomyces species are filamentous bacteria. They grow in branching, fungus-like networks and are completely different in structure from the single-celled, spiral spirochetes.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Bacterial classification based on morphology and structure (Spirochetes) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
- Identifying bacterial morphology is a fundamental step in microbiology for diagnosing infectious diseases. Recognizing Treponema pallidum as a spirochete is essential for understanding the pathogenesis and diagnosis of syphilis.
- Nurses should be aware that spirochetes like T. pallidum are too thin to be visualized by standard light microscopy with Gram staining. They require special techniques like dark-field microscopy or fluorescent antibody tests.
- What if? If a patient presented with a circular 'bull's-eye' rash after a tick bite, the nurse should suspect an infection with a different spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. This highlights that different spirochetes are associated with distinct diseases and clinical presentations.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the key term in the question: 'Spirochetes'. The question asks you to identify which of the options is a spirochete.
- Recall the definition and key characteristics of a spirochete: a flexible, spiral-shaped bacterium with internal flagella (endoflagella).
- Mentally review the common medically important genera of spirochetes: Treponema, Borrelia, and Leptospira.
- Examine each option to see if it matches the definition or known examples.
- Option B, Treponema pallidum, is a classic example of a spirochete.
- Eliminate the other options based on their known morphology: Corynebacterium is a rod (bacillus), Spirillum is a rigid spiral (not a spirochete), and Streptomyces is filamentous.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Bacterial classification based on morphology and structure (Spirochetes).
- Stem keywords: Spirochetes, bacteria, classification
- Lead-in keywords: Which among
- Negative lead-in flag: false
Question ID
QTenTs2L8UCCx5Gt-9u1qY
Reference Book
E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 2039-2041
E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 1469-1471
E6 Microbiology Essentials Sastry 4e Part 1 p. 85-87
Practise the full UPUMS Nsg.Officer-2024
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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