E. coli Infection Strategy

I watched an animation on E. coli infection strategy. In this animation it shows how the molecular tricks that an infectious strain of E. Coli uses to infect your gut. E.coli are very common, and generally harmless bacteria, but certain less-common strains of E. Coli can cause serious illness. In this animation it shows how a single E. coli bacterium sticks on to the surface of an intestinal epithelial cell using a long, pili. Once it comes in contact with the bacterium, the microvilli disappears and the bacterium comes into closer contact with the intestinal surface. Then the bacterium injects receptor proteins into the intestinal cell that is invading. Intestinal cell forms pedestal for bacterium, and infection follows. Once many bacteria have adhered to the intestinal lining, symptoms of the infection (diarrhea) commence. I found this animation very interesting because it happened once that my cousin got his gut infected, and had diarrhea and all, so i really wanted to know what infects it and what happens when it does. This animation is really revelant to Micribiology class, because we have been working with E. coli bacteria a lot and i think it is a very cool bacteria to study, especially because it is Mr. Kubo's favorite!

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/disease/animations.html#ecoli