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.
All signs and symptoms of the second stage of syphilis will disappear without treatment between three weeks and nine months, but the infection will still be present in the body. Latent Syphilis. The latent stage of syphilis, which occurs after the symptoms of secondary syphilis have disappeared, can last anywhere from a few years to up to 50 years. There are no symptoms in this stage and, after about two years, you may cease to be contagious.