Naegleria Fowleri

1. Naegleria Fowleri:
The Brain-Eating Amoeba
Neurobiology’s Worse Nightmare

4. So what is
Naegleria Fowleri?

5. Naegleria Fowleri is:
 A parasite
 Typically found in fresh water sources
 A rare infection
 Cause of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis
 But if infected, almost always results in death!

6. What parts of the nervous system
does it involve?
• Central nervous system
• The processing center that sends, receives, and interprets
information from all parts of the body
• Olfactory nerve (CN1)
• Relays sensory information about smell to the brain
• Olfactory bulbs
• Structure that receives and processes the neural input about
odours that is detected by nasal cavity cells
• Brain cells
• Aka nerve cells
• Receive and relay information to other nerve cells

7. What happens during an infection of N.
Fowleri?
• It attacks the central nervous system (via nose)
• Attaches to olfactory nerve and heads to olfactory
bulbs to feed on nerve tissue  necrosis &
hemorrhaging
• Travels further via nerve fibres to cranium floor and
into brain
• Consumes brain cells

8. Brain = Life
 This example of N. Fowleri demonstrates how
necessary the brain is to life
 Without the building blocks of the nervous
system (i.e. neurons), the nervous system
cannot function
 Without the nervous system, we cannot live.

9. Concluding Remarks on the Course
 Through this course, I am now able to better analyze neurobiological events
 It has first and foremost, provided me with the knowledge necessary to understand the
parts of the nervous system, their functions and underlying mechanisms and the impacts of
their malfunction. In the case of N. Fowleri, knowledge of how the nerve cells operate,
allows me to understand that if they are impaired, there is a loss of communication
between core body organs and this can lead to a poor functioning body or even death
 By providing everyday examples throughout the lectures, I have seen that the brain really
is at the core of every activity I engage in. Without a functioning brain, breathing patterns
would not be accurate, initiation of movement would not occur, and body temperature
would not be regulated. All of these things that I take for granted would not be functioning
if it weren’t for the brain.
 Lastly, application of the knowledge gained through the weekly quizzes have provided me
with a firm understanding of the brain’s functions. Without having discussed N. Fowleri or
olfaction in the course, I am able to understand the basic mechanism through which this
microorganism operates, as it pertains to the nervous system. Given the knowledge that
neurons do not regenerate, it is clear to me that if an individual were infected with N.
Fowleri, that he or she would likely die since this microorganism kills brain cells which are
necessary for life.

10. Acknowledgements
 Thanks to Dr. Peggy Mason and the staff at Coursera!
 References:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegleria_fowleri
 http://fox4kc.com/2014/07/11/brain-eating-amoeba-kills-johnson-county-resident/
 http://tribune.com.pk/story/733683/brain-eating-amoeba-kills-two-in-karachi/
 https://www.coursera.org/course/neurobio
 Images/Photos from Google Images