PhysiologyTo fully understand tuberculosis, we must understand its physiology. Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, “a strain with limited genetic diversity and no significant animal or environmental reservoir” (Cook et al., 2009, p. 41). Even without a known site where bacteria are most prevalent, bacteria can still be dangerous in small numbers because they are clearly adept at evading and evading their host's immune system (p. 41). “M. tuberculosis is also capable of adapting to very different intracellular environments, including: phagosomes of macrophages and dendritic cells, granulomas, and even fat cells” (p. 41). Phagosomes are vesicles that form around pathogens and eventually destroy them (Tessema, Koets, & Rutten, 2011, p. In order to fully achieve its goal of eliminating the pathogen, a phagosome must fuse with a Once fused, the enzymes contained in the lysosome work to digest/eliminate the pathogens contained in the phagosome (pp. 157-158). 'be detected by the immune system (p. 159-160) Granulomas are collections of macrophages used to separate the body from foreign particles (p. 158). the cell will eat away and degrade the surrounding tissues (p. 158) Tuberculosis is extremely dangerous and deadly if left untreated, and with the various drug-resistant strains around the world, the need for global awareness to tuberculosis is vital. Treatments To determine if a person has tuberculosis, a skin test or a tuberculosis screening test can be done. blood test. These are preliminary tests, so if someone tests positive for tuberculosis, then a...... middle of paper ...... y Microbiología Clínica, 57-62.Sharma, S., & Mohan , A. (2004). Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Indian J Med Res, 354-376. Society, AT, CDC and America, ID (2003). Treatment of tuberculosis. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1-74. Tessema, M., Koets, A. and Rutten, V. (2011). Bacteriology: Paratuberculosis review: How Mycobacterium avium subsp. Does paratuberculosis resist intracellular degradation? Veterinary Quarterly, 153-162. Waddington, K. (2004). Eradicating “such a terrible disease”: bovine tuberculosis and tuberculin testing in Great Britain, 1890-1939. Medical History, 29-48.WHO. (2002, August). World Health Organization. Retrieved April 15, 2014Zager, EM and McNerney, R. (2008). Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Infectious Diseases BMC, 1-5.Zaman, K. (2010). Tuberculosis: a global health problem. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 111-113.