Pili and Fimbriae: Bacterial Attachment — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2016Besides flagella, Pili and Fimbriae are also surface structures of the bacteria but do not play a role in motility. The pili are elongated tubular structures made of a special protein. The fimbriae are small bristle like fibres sprouting out of the cell. In some bacteria, they are known to help attach the bacteria to rocks in streams and also to the host tissues.
Pili and fimbriae are surface appendages of bacteria used for attachment, NOT motility—this distinction is critical. Students often confuse them with flagella, mistakenly thinking all bacterial projections aid movement. Remember: flagella enable swimming motility, while pili (tubular protein structures) and fimbriae (bristle-like fibers) help bacteria stick to rocks and host tissues. NTA tests this because understanding bacterial surface structures is essential for grasping pathogenesis and how bacteria invade host cells during infection. Always link pili/fimbriae to adhesion and virulence, not locomotion.
Select the wrong statement: (NEET 2016 Phase 2)
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