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BS127 - Agents Of Infectious Diseases > 1 - Introduction to Microbiology > Flashcards

1 - Introduction to Microbiology Flashcards

1
Q

Three domains

A

Archaea
Bacteria
Eukarya

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2
Q

Bacteria info

A

1-6 micrometers long
Mostly very small, can be some that are visible to naked eye

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3
Q

Archaea info

A

Can be extremophiles - can grow in extreme conditions
No known pathogenic archaea

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4
Q

Fungi info

A

Eukaryotic microbes
Size varies enormously
Commonly found with spores

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5
Q

Protists info

A

Very diverse - most eukaryotes are protists
Size range - 1-150 micrometers

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6
Q

Different types of microorganisms

A

Bacteria
Archaea
Fungi
Protozoa

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7
Q

Significance of microorganisms in global biomass

A

4-6 x 10^30 microbial cells in earth estimated
Microbial carbon equals that of all plants
Microbial Nitrogen and Phosphorous is 10x that of plant biomass

Bacteria and Archaea:
Major portion of biomass on Earth
Key reservoirs of nutrients for all life

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8
Q

Five kingdoms

A

Plants
Fungi
Animal
Protists
Bacteria

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9
Q

Distribution/abundance of microorganisms (not in size order)

A

Cloud water (least abundant
Seawater
Soil
Rivers and lakes
Marine subsurface
Human cells and bacteria in humans (most)

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10
Q

Why so many microorganisms

A

Rapid growth rate in environment
Many changes of speciation through random mutations
Exchange of genetic material (lateral gene transfer)
Every available niche is occupied by specifically adaptations microbes
A very long evolutionary history (3.8 billion years)

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11
Q

Phototroph def

A

Converts light energy to chemical, usable energy for organism

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12
Q

Chemotroph def

A

Utilise energy from chemical bonds, breaking them open to convert energy

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13
Q

Organotroph

A

Organic compounds as electron donors

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14
Q

Lithotroph

A

Inorganic compounds as electron donors

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15
Q

Autotrophs

A

CO2 as a carbon source

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16
Q

Heterotrophs

A

Organic compound as a carbon source

17
Q

Photolithoautotroph - example

A

Cyanobacteria (and plants!)
- light energy used
- water as an electron donor
- CO2 fixation for ATP production

18
Q

Chemoorganoheterotroph example

A

E. Coli (and most animals)
- chemical bond energy (O2)
- organic compounds (e.g. sugars) as electron donors
- organic compounds as carbon source - eat other organic compounds

19
Q

Chemolithoautotroph - example

A

Thiobacillus spp.
- chemical bond energy
- inorganic compound (reduced sulfur compounds) as electron donor
- Fix CO2

20
Q

Nutrients required for bacterial growth in the lab

A

Primary macronutrients:
- Carbon (CO2, or organic Carbon)
- H, O, N, S, P, K, Mg, Na, Ca, Fe

Micronutrients:
- B, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se, W, V, Zn

21
Q

Phototroph growth in the lab

A

Synthesise all their own cellular components (including all amino acids, nucleotides, vitamins)

22
Q

Fastidious bacteria growth in the lab

A

Need organic components, such as vitamins, in growth medium

23
Q

Luria broth - complex medium broth makeup

A

Glucose - 15g
Peptone - 5g
Yeast extract - 5g
KH2PO4 - 2g

  • dissolved in distilled water - pH 7
    Peptone (hydrolysed protein) and yeast extract are “undefined” chemicals containing cellular material

-most bacteria will grow using this complex growth medium

24
Q

Defined medium - Thiobacillus thioparus

25
Q

More complex media - where some microbes need to be grown

A
  • some microbes have to be grown inside eukaryotic cells or in animals, or in other specific environments
    E.g. syphilis grown in testicular cells, leprosy agent grown on feet of mice or armadillos
26
Q

Growth of bacteria

A
  • Asexual reproduction by binary fission or budding
  • Cells double in’s size then split in two
  • exponential growth - 2, 4, 8 etc.
  • incomplete separation produces pairs or larger assemblies of bacteria
27
Q

Why bacterial growth is limited

A

Exponential growth of bacteria can produce large numbers
All environments are limited though
- so limit is carrying capacity of medium
- limited by space and availability of nutrients
- most bacteria subject to bacterial growth curve

28
Q

Bacterial growth curve stages

A

Lag phase - adapt to new conditions
Log/exponential phase - exponential growth
Stationary phase - limited by nutrients, buildup of toxic waste products - inhibit growth
Death phase - organisms start dying off, and may lyse

29
Q

Measurements of growth

A

Cell number
Optical density
Fresh/dry weight (biomass?)
Protein
DNA

30
Q

Instruments to measure growth of microbes

A

Haemocytometer
Dilution plating (serial dilutions etc.)
Turbidmetry

31
Q

typical prokaryotic cell organelles

A

Cell wall
Cytoplasmic membrane (plasma membrane)
Nucleoid -
cytoplasm
Plasmid
Ribosomes

32
Q

typical eukaryotic cell organelles

A

cell wall
cytoplasmic membrane
mitochondrion
nuclear membrane
nucleus
ribosomes
ER - endoplasmic reticulum (rough and smooth)
cytoplasm
golgi complex

BS127 - Agents Of Infectious Diseases (11 decks)

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