A group of nursing students are reviewing information about the transmission of tuberculosis. The students demonstrate understanding when they state transmission occurs from person to person in which manner?

Exposure to droplets emitted by the cough of an infected person

Explanation:  

Pulmonary tuberculosis is produced by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is a contagious disease that can be transmitted between individuals by the inhalation of airborne particles released by the cough of individuals with tuberculosis. Consequently, M. tuberculosis is transmitted person-to-person by inhalation of aerosolized bacterium droplets.  

The immune system fight against tuberculosis infection by producing inflammatory responses in the lungs, this being an innate response that involves immune cells such as dendritic cells, macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils.