Question

What is the correlate between present of capsule on a pathogenic species with virulence?

Answer 1

@nincompoop can you help him?

Answer 2

@syay43 If I recall correctly, a capsule is a protective structure around a pathogen. This structure can help hide a pathogen as well. Why do you think this correlates with pathogenicity.

Answer 3

Capsule = bacteria

virulence = virus

Answer 4

@oOKawaiiOo No. A capsule is just what I said it is. See the entry regarding microbiology:

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Capsule

Virulence is how pathogenic something is, usually bacteria or viruses.

http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Virulence

Answer 5

Capsule is a polysaccharide layer outside the bacteria
It protects the bacteria from hostile environment and immune cells and also promotes adherence
If the bacteria is pathogenic
it can use this protection from hostile environment and immune cells and successfully induce its harm to a host cell
when making antibiotics its generally harder to make them because of presence of capsule
in addition to that - its also tough on immune system itself which leads to our immune system sometimes losing to the capsule coated bacterium
the point here is that
if this SAME bacteria was in our body WITHOUT capsule - it would have much less chances of survival - because immune system can deal with those better as compared to with ones that have capsule
now you can conclude and get your answer

Answer 6

as already said by others
virulence is basically a degree of pathogenicity
you can correlate it with how immune system reacts to capsule
and how high or low is survival rate of the pathogen when it has or does not have a capsule layer

Answer 7

ok..@somy @mrdoldum what can i conclude is..bacteria + capsule = high pathogenicity and bacteria without capsule = less pathogenicity as capsule can hide the bacteria from immunity system like avoid from being phagocyte by WBC. am i correct?

Answer 8

hide/protect
yeah you got it right pretty much :)

Answer 9

Yep.

Answer 10

thnks you very much @Somy and @mrdoldum :)

Answer 11

you are welcome :)