Life Cycle of Chlamydias

Overview

• Chlamydias have a unique life cycle involving two forms:
  • Reticulate Bodies (RBs)
  • Elementary Bodies (EBs)
• They cannot live outside a host cell.

Reticulate Bodies (RBs)

• Appear as red shapes inside host cells.
• Metabolically active form.
• Grow within an inclusion inside the host cell.
• Overcrowding leads to transformation into Elementary Bodies (EBs).

Elementary Bodies (EBs)

• Appear as purple dots.
• Dormant state with no active metabolism.
• Responsible for spreading infection from cell to cell.
• Released in large numbers when the host cell bursts.
• Once inside a new host cell, they revert to Reticulate Bodies (RBs).

Importance of the Life Cycle

• Allows rapid spread within the host.
• Makes Chlamydias hard to eliminate by the immune system.
• Unique to Chlamydias; no other bacteria have this life cycle.

Immune System Evasion

• Chlamydias hide inside host cells, making them difficult to detect and kill by the immune system.