How bacteria make you sick
A few bacterial diseases: Syphilis, gonorrhea, stomach ulcers, cholera, botulism, bubonic plague, Lyme disease, legionnaire's disease, tuberculosis, strep throat, diphtheria, impetigo, leprosy. . .
Often, it's not so much the bacteria themselves that cause illness, but toxins that the bacteria produce.
- Exotoxins are released by bacterial cells (examples: tetanus, botulism, staph, diphtheria)
- Endotoxins are certain components of bacterial cell walls (example: salmonella)