All of the following are ways that bacteria can evade host defenses except

• A. Presence of a capsule.
• B. Stimulation of chemotaxis.
• C. Production of toxins.
• D. Lack of adhesion to phagocytic cells.

Answer: (C)

The way bacteria avoid the host’s defenses centers on preventing phagocytosis or immune attack. A capsule is a classic antiphagocytic feature: it coats the bacterium and helps it slip past phagocytes, reducing engulfment. If a bacterium lacks adhesion to phagocytic cells, it’s less likely to be taken up in the first place, another straightforward way to dodge these defenses. Stimulating chemotaxis would attract immune cells to the infection site, boosting defense rather than helping the bacteria avoid it. Production of toxins, while a potent virulence factor, mainly damages host tissues or disrupts immune cells rather than directly preventing phagocytosis or immune recognition. Therefore, toxins don’t fit as an evasion mechanism in the same sense as the other options.