[Campbell Biology P.263] According to the text, how does Staphylococcus aureus S. aureus cau... | Practice Question

According to the text, how does Staphylococcus aureus S. aureus cause harm to the human body once it establishes an infection beyond the surface of healthy skin?

  • A: It directly consumes body cells for nutrients, leading to tissue damage.
  • B: It reaches a certain population density and then secretes a toxin that kills body cells, contributing to inflammation and damage.
  • C: It forms large colonies that physically block blood flow and nutrient delivery to tissues.
  • D: It directly triggers an autoimmune response that causes the body to attack its own cells.

Explanation

The introductory paragraph clearly states: 'Once S. aureus cells enter the body and reach a certain density, they secrete a toxin that kills body cells and contributes significantly to inflammation and damage.' This process is later identified as being regulated by quorum sensing, where cells 'sense their own population density by quorum sensing, and at a certain density they start to secrete toxin.'