Lockjaw Collection

Colony of Clostridium tetani with spores, 1906 (litho)
3501913 Colony of Clostridium tetani with spores, 1906 (litho) by German School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Bacteria constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms)

Symptoms of a locked jaw, c. 1827 (litho)
AQS332005 Symptoms of a locked jaw, c.1827 (litho) by American School, (19th century); 21.5x17 cm; American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts

Clostridium tetani bacterial spore
False-colour transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of a Clostridium tetani bacterial spore. The bacterium causes tetanus (lockjaw)

Clostridium tetani bacteria
False-colour scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Clostridium tetani, the species of Gram-positive, spore-forming, rod-like bacteria that causes tetanus

Clostridium tetani bacterium
False-colour transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of the bacterium Clostridium tetani, a Gram- positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacillus (rod-shaped bacterium) that causes tetanus

F / col TEM of Clostridium tetani bacterium
False-colour transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of the bacterium Clostridium tetani, a Gram- positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacillus (rod- shaped bacterium) that causes tetanus

Tetanus toxin C-fragment structure
Tetanus toxin C-fragment, molecular model. This is a fragment of the neurotoxin protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium tetani that causes tetanus

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Discover the menacing world of Lockjaw, a disease caused by the colonies of Clostridium tetani bacteria, infamous since the late 1800s. These microscopic organisms, as depicted in the 1906 lithograph, carry potent spores that can survive in adverse conditions. Once the spores find their way into a wound, they germinate and release the deadly tetanus toxin. The symptoms, illustrated in an 1827 lithograph, include a stiff, locked jaw, rigidity of muscles, and spasms. The Clostridium tetani bacterium, shown here under the microscope, is a gram-positive, anaerobic bacillus. Its spores, as seen in this transmission electron micrograph, are highly resilient and can remain dormant in soil and the environment for years. The tetanus toxin, a C-fragment structure, interferes with the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters, causing uncontrollable muscle contractions. A vaccination is the best defense against this insidious disease, preventing the devastating consequences of a lockjaw infection.