BIOG 1106 - Unit 4 Slides / slide 18

 

Slide 18.

Whooping cough bacteria. Colored scanning electron micrograph of a section of human tracheal epithelium showing the rod-shaped bacteria Bordetella pertussis (green), lodged at the base & between the cilia at center. B. pertussis is the agent of whooping cough, a respiratory tract infection characterized by fits of coughing that end in inspiratory whoops. The bacteria cause a dramatic loss of cilia, or fine hairs that protect the respiratory tract from dust and particles. The micrograph shows a region of epithelium in the foreground where the cilia have been flattened by the bacteria. Magnification: x6100 at 6x7cm size. x20,000 at 8x10 inch size. Credit: NIBSC / Photo Researchers, Inc.