Question

A genomic island that increases the virulence of a microorganism, especially in interacting with a host, is called a

Choose one:
A. plasmid gene.
B. pathogenicity island.
C. secretion system.
D. phage gene.

Answer 1

A genomic island that increases virulence of a microorganism when interacting with a host is known as a pathogenicity island, which often carries genes contributing to virulence and can include antibiotic resistance genes.

Step-by-step explanation:

A genomic island that increases the virulence of a microorganism, especially in interacting with a host, is called a pathogenicity island. These genomic segments can be transferred between bacteria and they often contain clusters of genes that can contribute to the virulence of pathogenic bacteria. This can include genes that code for proteins allowing the pathogen to bind to host cells, which would be a virulence factor of a pathogen as indicated by Option A in a related question. Furthermore, pathogenicity islands may also carry antibiotic resistance genes, allowing for the transfer of these genes among bacteria via various mechanisms such as conjugation, transformation, and transduction, which can result in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance within microbial populations.