False-colour scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of chains of the Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore- forming bacteria Clostridium perfringens (also known

---

False-colour scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of chains of the Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore- forming bacteria Clostridium perfringens (also known as Clostridium welchii or Welch's bacillus). The bacterium causes blood poisoning, types of food poisoning, & gas gangrene in humans. C. perfringens secretes exotoxins; one of these, alpha-toxin (a lecithinase enzyme), has the ability to destroy plasma membranes surrounding cells. This may be a primary cause of tissue damage that occurs in cases of gas gangrene. Food poisoning from C. perfringens results from eating foods where the bacteria have developed & formed exotoxins. Magnification: x4100 at 35mm size.

---

Size: 4757px × 4316px
Photo credit: © CNRI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: bacillus, bacteria, bacterial, bacteriology, bacterium, blood, clostridium, food, gangrene, infect, micro-organisms, microbe, microbes, microbiology, perfringens, poison, poisoning, sem, welchii, welchs