Bacteria
Question: Actually, I have several questions. First let me explain why I need to know. I'm doing a science project on four species of bacteria:Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Beta streptococcus group A, E.coli, and Staph. aureus. My project is a simple one, but I like to know what I'm talking about. Because I have so many questions, I would appreciate whatever answer you have to any question. I realize that you probably won't be able to answer them all. Here it goes. 1. My project will be dealing with how well household disinfectants kill the bacteria and to what dilluted point. What happens when the disinfectant doesn't kill the bacteria? How does the body's natural defenses help fight it off? 2. What does the gastrointestinal tract do? 3. Is Pseudomonas aeruginosa a species of soil bacteria from which streptomycin can be extracted? 4. Poisonous toxins are sometimes produced by food spoiling bacteria such as Staph., Strept. and Salmonella. When are these instances? 5. How is it that Staph can multiply rapidly at room temperature? Do any of the others that I'm testing? 6. Is Gonerrhea a disease produced by any of the bacteria in question? 7. The blood serum from healthy individuals lacking antibodies will destroy many species of bacteria. Will this happen to any of my bacteria? If so, then why? 8. During inflammation, small blood vvessels dilate and leak fluid, phagocytic white blood cells adhere to the lining of the blood vessels and migrate out of the blood into the tissue to attack microbial invaders. Does this include any of the bacteria I'm killing? I mean, are any of the bacteria that I'm testing one of the microbial invaders? 9. In some instances the host's own defenses against infections may be responsible for the damage. Does this occur with an of my bacteria? If so, what would it do? 10. Such organisms as mycobacterium are destroyed by macrophages. Does this involve my bacteria, and if it does, how? 11. Phagocytic cells kill organisms rapidly. Does this happen with any of my bacteria? 12. Viral infections can mimic strep throat. What does that mean? 13. Some bacteria produce an endospore. Do any of my bacteria do this? If it does, then how do you kill the bacteria? It says here that it's the most resistant living thing known and cannot be killeed except by boiling in steam under pressure for many hours. There's got to be an easier way, right? 14. Staphylococci cells are arranged in groups that resembles clusters of grapes. This characteristic is more pronounced when the organisms are grown on solid rather than in a liquid media. Why? 15. Some organisms may produce a toxin only after infecting the patient. Does this involve any of my bacteria, and what's the explanation for it?

Answer: You'll need a basic microbiology textbook for this project. A medical technologist text like Bailey and Scott would be helpful.
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