concept

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Staphylococcal enterotoxin B

Staphylococcal enterotoxin A

Clostridium difficile

The Ebola virus

A fly on sugar crystals

The fruiting body of bread mould. As the mould grows, it propagates itself by forming spores that are released into the environment and grow into new mould colonies. Biomedical Image Awards 2006.

Fruiting body of bread mould

This pair of images demonstrates how a disease-causing strain of E. coli bacteria brings about diarrhoea by breaking down the waterproof barriers between the cells. First of all the bacteria, seen as small red dots, attach to the surface of intestinal cells, making tiny pedestals out of one of the cell's own proteins (bright green). Once attached, the bacteria send signals into the cells, causing the tight junctions (blue) between the cells to break down. Water is then able to seep out between the cells into the intestine, leading to diarrhoea. The image on the top shows an early stage in the process where the tight junctions are still intact and show as continuous blue lines between the cells. The image on the bottom is taken later in the process, once the tight junctions have broken down. Their remnants appear as blue dots.

How E. coli causes diarrhoea

A colour-enhanced image showing a cluster of Clostridium difficile on a surface. Wellcome Image Awards 2008.

The small red dots are enteropathogenic E. coli bacteria attaching to the surface of human intestinal cells in culture. During this process they sequester the actin (greeen) in the host cell to form actin-rich pedestals. This tends to give the appearance of a green halo around the bacteria. Once attached, the bacteria cause the tight junctions (blue) between the cells to break down, leading to the leakage of water into the intestine and consequent diarrhoea.

The small red dots are enteropathogenic E. coli bacteria attaching to the surface of human intestinal cells in culture. During this process they sequester the actin (greeen) in the host cell to form actin-rich pedestals. This tends to give the appearance of a green halo around the bacteria. Once attached, the bacteria cause the tight junctions (blue) between the cells to break down, leading to the leakage of water into the intestine and consequent diarrhoea. Wellcome Image Awards 2008.

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Fruiting body of bread mould

How E. coli causes diarrhoea

Clostridium difficile

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

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Contamination

Images

Catalogue

Fruiting body of bread mould

How E. coli causes diarrhoea

Clostridium difficile

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Enteropathogenic E. coli on human intestinal cells

Wellcome Collection

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