A patient visits her doctor complaining of stomach cramps, vomiting, and nausea. When he takes a bacterial sample, he determines that Escherichia coli bacteria have used their ________ to attach to the cells lining her gastrointestinal tract.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fimbriae are hair-like structures on the surface of bacteria that allow them to attach to host cells. In the case of the patient described, the E. coli bacteria are using their fimbriae to attach to cells lining her gastrointestinal tract, leading to her symptoms of stomach cramps, vomiting, and nausea. Cilia and flagella are also surface structures on cells, but they are found on eukaryotic cells rather than bacteria. Peptidoglycan refers to the polymer that makes up bacterial cell walls, and is not directly involved in attachment to host cells.

A Patient Visits Her Doctor Complaining of Stomach Cramps, Vomiting