Bacterial DNA â a circular chromosome plus plasmids. The DNA of most bacteria is contained in a single circular molecule, called the bacterial chromosome. The chromosome, along with several proteins and RNA molecules, forms an irregularly shaped structure called the nucleoid.
What are the effects? If left untreated, syphilis can eventually cause damage to the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. In extreme cases it can cause difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, mental illness, and even death. If you have syphilis and are pregnant, it can cause serious birth defects and stillbirth.
Without treatment, secondary syphilis turns into late syphilis (also called latent or tertiary syphilis). This can develop from two to thirty years after infection. At this stage, no symptoms are present and the infection can only be detected with blood tests. However, the disease continues to cause damage.