Pathology question thread

[Turtle]

What about the question that went something like, 'A pathogen can cause a disease in all of the following ways except:
Secreting endotoxins
Secreting exotoxins
Making contact with the cell
And there was one other one

I chose making contact with the cell, since there needs to be more than just contact. Like there needs to be adhesion and stuff or something, but I really wasn't sure. What did you guys put down?

I originally had making contact with cells, except I changed it to secreting endotoxins. I don't think pathogens can "excrete" endotoxins.
Endotoxins refer to the outer membrane of a gram negative bacteria (http://textbookofbacteriology.net/endotoxin.html).
Therefore, endotoxins are not "secreted" by the pathogen, but rather, they are associated with the pathogen.
In our notes, it says that they are produced by the bacteria, but it doesn't say "secreted" liked it does for exotoxins in the notes.

I could just be being picky, but that's my reasoning!!

I'm probably wrong though, I bet the one you put ends up being right!

[nubs]

Nah I was thinking that same thing, I was tossing up between the endotoxin one and the contact one, but yeah I think you're right

[simpak]

Turtle you're right (don't even do pathology but omg I know something in it exciting).  Secreting means that the bacteria would actively be sending endotoxin (usually used interchangeably with LPS in this context) out through their membranes which isn't what happens - when bacteria die they release their endotoxin just as the cell degrades so it's not active secretion.  I would have picked the one that you chose, although I think saying 'making contact' is a little bit vague and like nubs pointed out you usually do need something else...like for eg when EPEC makes contact with cells it adheres and causes disease by inducing an A/E lesion. But it depends on whether you consider contact and adhesion to be interchangeable - I'd probably say they're not but in the context of this question I believe 'secretion' is the 'incorrect' answer and therefore the best 'correct' answer...if that makes sense.

[Turtle]

Turtle you're right (don't even do pathology but omg I know something in it exciting).  Secreting means that the bacteria would actively be sending endotoxin (usually used interchangeably with LPS in this context) out through their membranes which isn't what happens - when bacteria die they release their endotoxin just as the cell degrades so it's not active secretion.  I would have picked the one that you chose, although I think saying 'making contact' is a little bit vague and like nubs pointed out you usually do need something else...like for eg when EPEC makes contact with cells it adheres and causes disease by inducing an A/E lesion. But it depends on whether you consider contact and adhesion to be interchangeable - I'd probably say they're not but in the context of this question I believe 'secretion' is the 'incorrect' answer and therefore the best 'correct' answer...if that makes sense.

Nah I was thinking that same thing, I was tossing up between the endotoxin one and the contact one, but yeah I think you're right

Glad other people (especially really smart people) think the same as me. I thought I was going to be way off track!

[pink0829]

Yea, when nubs pointed out that just making contact isn't enough I started doubting myself putting the endotoxin answer but reading the other posts I feel a bit better now. I wasn't sure about a couple of other questions though.

Overall, I found it a  tad bit harder than the other midsem.

Hope the results come out sooner this time.

[nubs]

Yeah I'm pretty sure in the lecture slides it says contact is enough to cause disease

[Sinner]

I chose endotoxins because i vaguely remember that it was more associated with the host, or if not then not associated with pathogenesis anyway.

Will Vicki take 3 weeks to grade the damn papers again? 

[nubs]

The review lecture is at the end of next week so they should be out by then, hopefully

[BelVP]

A bit of a side question - but how come under my grades on LMS it has Prac #6 listed as BOTH completed and upcoming? I'm confused :/

[Turtle]

Just wondering how everyone is going with their study? I'm up to Lecture 20

I hope they give back our MST marks back soon, it has been 3 weeks!!!
I'm super eager to know how I went!

[pink0829]

Wow Turtle! That's really good! I have 3 more lectures to make notes for and then I start studying on Saturday. That is if I get my essays done by then.  

With the MST, I'm really hoping we get our marks back by Friday. I don't follow the lecture order when I study. I want to focus on the harder bits more and so I really need to know how I went so I can structure my study plan.

[BelVP]

Just wondering how everyone is going with their study? I'm up to Lecture 20

I hope they give back our MST marks back soon, it has been 3 weeks!!!
I'm super eager to know how I went!

I'm getting there. Up to lecture 14. & kind of toggling between revision for other subjects too.

[hobbitle]

Hey guys

So what's PATH20001 like?
I want to take it so I can do some Level 3 Pathology subjects later on (but it's not my major)...

[nubs]

It's been pretty good, but it's been one of my least favourite subjects out of the 9 I've done this year. It's taught and coordinated really well, I just haven't enjoyed the content as much as I have for other subjects.

In terms of difficulty, it requires a bit of rote learning, but nowhere near as much as subjects like anatomy (and from what I've been told) microbiology/immunology and it's quite manageable.

The reason why I haven't enjoyed it as much as my other subjects is probably because it doesn't require a whole lot of applied thinking or problem solving, it's mainly just a lot of memorising and I'm not a huge fan of thattttt

Also, MST marks are up now!

[Turtle]

2nd MST marks are out!! 
I got 27/29, so pretty happy!!
Hope all you went well like usual