Final answer:
Fungi use several mechanisms to invade the body successfully, including having an antiphagocytic capsule, resisting digestion within macrophages, and destroying phagocytes like neutrophils. Therefore, the answer is D. All of the above.
Step-by-step explanation:
The survival mechanisms of fungi that successfully invade the body include a variety of strategies for evading the host's immune system. These mechanisms can be grouped into three main strategies:
- A. Presence of an antiphagocytic capsule: Some fungi, like the pathogen Cryptococcus, possess a capsule that helps them avoid phagocytosis, the process by which immune cells engulf and digest foreign invaders. The capsule acts as a protective shield against the host's immune defenses.
- B. Resistance to digestion within macrophages: Fungi may possess adaptations that allow them to resist the digestive enzymes within phagocytes, such as macrophages and neutrophils. By doing so, they can survive and even multiply within the immune cells designed to destroy them.
- C. Destruction of phagocytes (e.g., neutrophils): Some fungi release toxins or enzymes that can damage or kill the phagocytes of the immune system, crippling the host's ability to mount an effective immune response against the fungal invader.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is D. All of the above, as these are all methods by which fungi can evade the host's immune system to persist and spread within the body.