Neisseria meningitidis is a bacterium that causes meningitis - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 5 - 2011 - Paper 1
Question 5
Neisseria meningitidis is a bacterium that causes meningitis. This disease causes inflammation of tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord in humans.
Bacteria en... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Neisseria meningitidis is a bacterium that causes meningitis - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 5 - 2011 - Paper 1
Step 1
a. Name the process shown in the figure.
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Answer
The process shown in the figure is endocytosis, which is the process by which bacteria enter the host cell membrane.
Step 2
b. Describe how antibodies and macrophages inhibit the spread of N. meningitidis.
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Antibodies bind to the surface antigens of N. meningitidis, neutralizing the bacterium and preventing it from infecting host cells. Macrophages then identify and engulf the bacteria through a process called phagocytosis, effectively eliminating them from the infection site.
Step 3
c. Why is this enzyme named a protease?
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This enzyme is named a protease because it specifically breaks down proteins, including the subunits of antibodies, which helps the bacterium evade the immune response.
Step 4
d. Explain why the drug needs to have a shape complementary to the protease enzyme.
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The drug needs to have a shape complementary to the protease enzyme to effectively bind to the active site. This enables the drug to inhibit the enzyme's action, thereby preventing it from breaking down the antibodies and enhancing the immune system's ability to combat the infection.
