Question

How is streptococcus pneumoniae able to avoid destruction by a phagocyte? they cause the lysosomes to empty their contents into the phagocyte, killing it. their capsules make them "slippery" to phagocytes. they prevent the fusion of the lysosome and phagosome?

Answer 1

There are choices for this question namely:

a) They prevent the fusion of the lysosome and phagosome.
b) Their capsules make them "slippery" to phagocytes.
c) They cause the lysosomes to empty their contents into the phagocyte, killing it.

The correct answer is "their capsules make them "slippery" to phagocytes". The components of the bacterial surface of S. pneumoniae is very slippery and resist phagocyte engulfment because of its polysaccharide composition. Apart from this, the capsule of S. pneumoniae do exert an anti-phagocytic action in other ways.