Audrey Kiesz Bacteria and Viruses Flashcards
Prokaryote
An organism that consists of a single cell that does not have a nucleus.
Bacilli
A rod shaped bacterium.
Cocci
Any spherical or roughly spherical bacterium.
Spirilla
A bacterium with a rigid spiral structure, found in stagnant water and sometimes causing disease.
Binary fission
A form of asexual reproduction in single-cell organisms by which one cell divides into two cell of the same size.
Endospore
A thick-walled protective spore that forms inside a bacterial cell and resists harsh conditions.
Nitrogen fixation
The chemical processes by which atmospheric nitrogen is assimilated into organic compounds, especially by certain microorganisms as part of the nitrogen cycle.
Bioremediation
The biological treatment of hazardous waste by living organisms.
Antibiotic
Medicine used to kill bacteria and other microorganisms.
Pathogenic bacteria
Bacteria that cause diseases.
Virus
A microscopic particle that gets inside a cell and often destroys the cell.
Host
An organism from which a parasite takes food or shelter.
