Page 26 - MNU microbiology theoritical 2025
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General Microbiology & Immunology (PM 401) Second level Semester 4 2024/2025
- Enhance the ability of bacterial pathogens to cause disease
- Protect bacteria from phagocytic WBCs of the immune system
- Help in attachment to surfaces.
2- Slime layer
• Structure Unorganized, loosely attached glycocalyx.
It can be easily washed off from cells
• Function:
- Aids adherence to surfaces
- Protects bacteria from dehydration and loss of
nutrients
❖ Glycocalyces allow cells to adhere to surfaces, aiding in the formation of
biofilms (colonies of microbes that form in layers on surfaces)
Biofilm
• A biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other
on a surface. These adherent cells are frequently embedded within a self-
produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substance (slime)
• Biofilms can form on just about any imaginable surface: metals, plastics, medical
implants, contact lenses, the walls of swimming pool
General Microbiology & Immunology (PM 401) theoretical handbook Page 15
