What is a characteristic feature of the brain tissue in patients with Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks for a characteristic feature of brain tissue in patients with Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs).
Option 1: 'An abundance of healthy, functional neurons.' This is inconsistent with TSE pathology, where neurons are lost and replaced by vacuolated tissue, so this overstates neuronal preservation.
Option 2: 'Inflammation and immune response to foreign proteins.' TSEs typically show minimal inflammatory response in the brain; inflammation is not a defining hallmark, making this option misleading.
Option 3: 'Visible holes due to neuronal death.' This describes the classic spongiform change: vacuolation creating sponge-like holes in the neuropil and tissue due to neuron loss, which is a hallmark of TSE pathology.
Option 4: 'Overproduction of normal prion proteins.' In TSEs, the problem is misfolded prion proteins (PrPSc) aggregating, not an overproduction of normal PrP; this option mischaracterizes the mechanism.
Thus, option 3 correctly identifies the characteristic spongiform vacuolation pattern seen in TSE brain tissue, while the other options either misstate neuronal integrity, immune involvement, or prion biology.

BIOL 271 Case Study 1 Quiz

What is a characteristic feature of the brain tissue in patients with Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)?

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