MRCP UK EXAMINATIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -The acid-fastness of Mycobacteria is due to the high mycolic acid content of their cell walls, which is responsible for the staining pattern of poor absorption followed by high retention.

Detailed explanation-2: -Mycobacterium tuberculosis is intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics, limiting the number of compounds available for treatment. This intrinsic resistance is due to a number of mechanisms including a thick, waxy, hydrophobic cell envelope and the presence of drug degrading and modifying enzymes.

Detailed explanation-3: -Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae are acid-fast organisms with lipid-rich cell walls that resist decolorization with acidified alcohol after application of a dye with heat.

Detailed explanation-4: -Drug resistance in TB remains a man-made phenomenon. It emerges as a result of spontaneous gene mutations in M. tuberculosis that render the bacteria resistant to the most commonly used anti-TB drugs. Among the reasons for this, the non-compliance with the treatment regimens is signaled as the first cause.