What type of pathogen is Treponema pallidum?

The spirochetal pathogen Treponema pallidum causes 5 million new cases of venereal syphilis worldwide each year. One major obstacle to syphilis prevention and treatment is the lack of suitable experimental animal models to study its pathogenesis.

What is the scientific name of Treponema pallidum?

Is Treponema pallidum a bacteria or parasite?

Treponema pallidum subsp, pallidum, the causative agent of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis, is a fastidious, microaerophilic obligate parasite of humans.

What kingdom is Treponema?

Bacteria are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on Earth, and are present in most of its habitats.

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What is the description of Treponema pallidum?

Treponema pallidum is the causative organism of syphilis. It is a motile spirochete that is generally acquired by close sexual contact and which enters host tissue by breaches in squamous or columnar epithelium.

What is the kingdom and division of Treponema pallidum?

Data Quality Indicators:
KingdomBacteria Cavalier-Smith, 2002 – bactéries, bacteria, bacterias, bactérias
SubkingdomNegibacteria Cavalier-Smith, 2002
PhylumSpirochaetae Garrity and Holt, 2001
ClassSpirochaetes Cavalier-Smith, 2002
OrderSpirochaetales Buchanan, 1917

Is Treponema pallidum gram-negative cocci?

Treponema pallidum can be considered a gram-negative bacterium although its cell envelope differs from other gram-negative bacteria. T. pallidum causes syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that affects the skin and mucous membrane of the external genitalia, and also sometimes the mouth.

What causes Treponema pallidum?

The cause of syphilis is a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. The most common way syphilis is spread is through contact with an infected person’s sore during sexual activity. The bacteria enter the body through minor cuts or abrasions in the skin or mucous membranes.

Is Treponema a spirochete?

Spiral bacteria

All of the pathogenic spirochaetes including Leptospira, Treponema, and Borrelia are members of the family Spirochaetaceae.

Is Treponema pallidum the same as syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Syphilis can cause serious health effects without adequate treatment.

What is the meaning of pallidum?

Pallidum: Part of what are called the basal ganglia of the brain which consist of the globus pallidus and the ventral pallidum. The globus pallidus itself is a pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. (Globus is a Latin word meaning a globe or sphere.

How does Treponema pallidum cause syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infectious (STI) disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. This bacterium causes infection when it gets into broken skin or mucus membranes, usually of the genitals. Syphilis is most often transmitted through sexual contact, although it also can be transmitted in other ways.

Is Treponema pallidum gram-negative bacilli?

Treponema pallidum is a Gram-negative micro-aerophilic bacterium, 6–20 μm long, 0.1–0.2 μm wide and tightly coiled. The treponemes are motile by three flagella (axial filaments) that wrap around the surface of the organism and are covered by the outer membrane which contains lipopolysaccharide.

Where is Treponema pallidum found?

Endemic syphilis, caused by T pallidum subsp endemicum, is found in the desert areas of the Middle East and Central and South Africa. Transmission is through human-to-human nonsexual contact.

Who discovered Treponema pallidum?

The etiological agent of yaws, Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue (T. pertenue), was discovered by Aldo Castellani in 1905 shortly after Schaudinn and Hoffmann discovered the etiological agent of syphilis, T. pallidum subspecies pallidum.

Is Treponema Gram positive or negative?

Treponema cells are gram-negative, but most of the strains do not take up stain easily by Gram staining or Giemsa staining.

What are the 4 stages of syphilis?

There are four stages of syphilis (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). Each stage has different signs and symptoms.

How is Treponema pallidum transmitted?

MODE OF TRANSMISSION: All subspecies of Treponema pallidum can be transmitted through direct contact with active lesions 3. Venereal syphilis is also spread through sexual contact and through the placenta barrier. Endemic syphilis is transmitted through contact with mucous membranes.