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Clostridium Tetani

Clostridium Tetani is a rod shaped bacteria that is found as spores in soil or as parasites in animals. C. Tetani produces biological a biological toxin called tetanospasmin, which causes tetanus. Tetanus is a disease characterized by muscle spasms tetanospasmin, which can lead to respiratory failure and, 40% of the time, death.

Characteristics:
C. Tetani bacteria are rod shaped and look like mini tennis rackets. During their growth process, they cannot survive in the presence of oxygen and are heat-sensitive. As they mature, the bacteria develops ad terminal spore which gives them their characteristic appearance. Their spores are extremely hardy and resistant to heat and most anesthetics. The spores can be found in manure treated soils, human skin, and contaminated heroin.

Toxicity: 
C. Tetani enters through a wound in the skin and then multiplies. Once infected it produces two exotoxins: tetanolysin and tetanospasmin. The tetospasmin is distributed in the blood and lymphatic system. It acts at several sites with in the nervous system: the peripheral nerve terminals, spinal cord, brain, sympathetic nervous system. Then it attaches to gangliosides at the presyneptic junctions of inibitoty more nerve endings. The clinical manifestations are caused when tetanus blocks the inabitory implies, which interferes with the neurotransmitters. This leads to muscle contraction and spasm. Characteristic features are risus sardonicus (rigid smile), trismus (lock-jaw), opisthotonus ( rigid arched back). Seizures may also occur. Because of this, the autonomic nervous system may also be effected.

Types of Tetanus: 
Generalized Tetanus is the most common type of tetanus (80%). The first signs of generalized tetanus are risus sardonics and trismus. Then comes the stiffness of neck, difficulty in swallowing and regidity of pectoral and calf muscles.
Neonatal Tetanus if a form of Generalized Tetanus that occurs in newborns. It accounts for 14% of all neonatal deaths. Infants with out acquired passive immunity because their mothers have never been immunized are at risk. The infants are usually infected though the umbilical stump.
Local Tetanus is very uncommon and is more mild then Generalized Tetanus and only 1% who are infected die. It occurs in contractions of muscles around the area of the injury.
Cephalic Tetanus is a rare form of the disease that occasionally occurs with ear infections. C. Tetani becomes present in the flora, middle of the ear, following injuries to the head.

Image sources:/
www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/205/519944432_858d235bef_m_d.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/2007/07/20/the-surface-layer-protein-of-clostridium-tetani/&usg=__ispMGGzzsAPI9uBmD75-


www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://phil.cdc.gov/PHIL_Images/20041014/19f02a819c8f4352804bc5abbdd820c0/6374_lores.jpg&imgrefurl=http://prep4md.blogspot.com/2008/08/medically-important-bacteria-images.html&usg


Sources: 
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/unrein_bren/


http://student.ccbcmd.edu/courses/bio141/lecguide/unit1/prostruct/diseases/ctetani/ctetani.html


http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/submenus/sub_tetanus.htm 

Macromolecules Lab

This week, we conducted a lab testing for four different macromolecules like starch, protein, lipids, and glucose. Each pair was given a food (apple, onion, lemon, egg white, egg yolk, potato, strawberry) and they were to test which of the macromolecules was in each of them. We tested for most of the compounds by mixing them with things like biuret solution and Lugol's iodine solution and see if they changed the right color; however, to test for lipids and glucose was a bit more complicated. To test for lipids you had to take your food and rub it on a piece of brown rapping paper and let dry. To test for proteins you had to mix Benedict's solution with the food and then place it in a hot water bath. If it changed a bright orange color then it contained glucose.

My partner and I were given apples. We predicted that apples would have protein, glucose, and starch. You can see in the picture to the right that when we tested for each compound we found that it did not contain proteins.

I really enjoyed this lab. I can't speak for the other students but I know I don't normally look at the nutritional facts of the side of the box, so it was really interesting to see what was in foods that we eat on a regular basis. For instance, I would have never known an egg white contains sugar. Or that a lemon doesn't contain any of the four groups that we tested it for. For our first lab I think it was very enjoyable and interesting. It wasn't very complicated and we were working with very familiar substances which also made the lab more enjoyable. Over all I really liked that lab and I thought it was very interesting. 

Nucleic Acids