Which bacteria produces an enterotoxin that causes diarrhea?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Vibrio cholerae. This bacterium produces the cholera toxin, an enterotoxin that causes profuse watery diarrhea by disrupting the normal function of the intestines. Vibrio cholerae is specifically known for causing cholera, a severe diarrheal disease. Clostridium botulinum (B) produces botulinum toxin, causing botulism (paralysis, not diarrhea). Escherichia coli (C) can produce enterotoxins, but the question specifies a specific enterotoxin causing diarrhea, which is not a characteristic of all strains of E. coli. Streptococcus pneumoniae (D) is a common cause of respiratory infections but does not produce an enterotoxin causing diarrhea.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that can occur as a complication following a group A streptococcal infection. This is known as a post-streptococcal complication. It typically affects the heart, joints, skin, and brain. Endocarditis (choice A) is also a complication of streptococcal infections, but it is an infection of the heart valves, not an inflammatory disease like rheumatic fever. Nephritis (choice C) is inflammation of the kidneys and is not directly related to streptococcal infections. Cytomegalovirus (choice D) is a different viral infection and is not associated with streptococcal infections.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Zielh-Neelsen stain. This stain is specifically used to detect acid-fast bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of renal tuberculosis. The staining process involves using carbol fuchsin to penetrate the mycolic acid layer of the bacterial cell wall, making it resistant to decolorization with acid-alcohol. This allows the red stained bacteria to be visualized under a microscope. Loeffler stain (B) is used for staining bacteria like diphtheria bacilli, Gram stain (C) is used for bacterial classification based on cell wall properties, and Aujeszky stain (D) is not a recognized staining method for detecting acid-fast bacteria.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Trimethoprim. Trimethoprim is a folate antagonist that inhibits dihydrofolate reductase, an enzyme essential for folate metabolism in bacteria. This disrupts bacterial DNA synthesis, leading to bacteriostatic effects. Methyl Penicillin (A) is a beta-lactam antibiotic that interferes with bacterial cell wall synthesis. Vancomycin (C) inhibits cell wall synthesis by binding to D-Ala-D-Ala terminus of cell wall precursors. Gentamicin (D) inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding to the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Cell-wall regrowth. This is not a bacterial antibiotic resistance mechanism because antibiotics target specific components in bacteria, such as cell wall synthesis, making regrowth impossible in the presence of antibiotics. Reduced permeability (A) decreases antibiotic entry, Over-expression of target (C) reduces antibiotic effectiveness, and Efflux pump (D) actively removes antibiotics from the cell, all contributing to antibiotic resistance. In summary, cell-wall regrowth is not a mechanism of antibiotic resistance, unlike the other choices that actively promote bacterial survival against antibiotics.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is Amebiasis. The patient's symptoms of abdominal pain, loose stools with mucus and blood, along with the presence of protozoa containing phagocytosed erythrocytes in stool analysis are indicative of Entamoeba histolytica infection. The size (30-40 microns) and pseudopodia characteristics match E. histolytica. Amebiasis commonly presents with dysentery, while Leishmaniasis (B) typically causes skin ulcers. Trichomoniasis (C) is a sexually transmitted infection, not associated with the described symptoms. Giardiasis (D) is characterized by foul-smelling diarrhea and steatorrhea, not bloody diarrhea as seen in this case.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Outer membrane with lipopolysaccharides. Gram-negative bacteria have an outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are important in pathogenesis and immune response. This feature is unique to Gram-negative bacteria, distinguishing them from Gram-positive bacteria (choice A). Teichoic acids (choice C) are found in the cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria, not Gram-negative. The statement in choice D, absence of a cell wall, is incorrect as all bacteria have a cell wall, although the composition may vary between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Inactivation. In this method, the sputum sample is processed with a solution of caustic soda, which helps to kill any contaminants present and preserve the tuberculosis bacillus for microscopic examination. This step is crucial in ensuring accurate detection of the bacillus. A: Homogenization involves breaking down the sample to make it uniform, but it does not necessarily involve using caustic soda for inactivation. C: Flotation is a method used to separate different components based on their density and is not specific to inactivating tuberculosis bacillus. D: Filtration involves passing a sample through a filter to separate particles based on size and is not related to inactivating the tuberculosis bacillus.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Transcription. Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template. During transcription, RNA polymerase binds to the DNA and produces a complementary RNA strand. This process is essential for gene expression. Explanation for why other choices are incorrect: A: Transposition involves the movement of genetic elements within a genome, not the production of RNA from DNA. B: Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from mRNA, not the production of RNA from DNA. D: RNA splicing is the process of removing introns and joining exons in pre-mRNA to produce mature mRNA, not the initial production of RNA from DNA.