Bacteria as causes of diseases Flashcards
What is the resolving power of the naked eye
100 micrometers
What is the resolving power of a light microscope
0.2 micrometer
Nomenclature of bacteria
Genus followed by species name
e.g. Staphylococcus (genus) aureus (species)
Define pathogen
Organism that causes disease
Define commensals
Organism which colonises the host but causes no disease in normal circumstances
Define Opportunist Pathogen
Microbe that only causes disease if host defences are compromised
Define Virulence/Pathogenicity
The degree to which a given organism is pathogenic
Define asymptomatic carriage
When a pathogen is carried harmlessly at a tissue site where it causes no disease
What does Trypanosoma Gambiense cause
Sleeping sickness
What do entamoeba histolytic cause
Amoebic dysentery
What are trypanosomes and entamoeba examples of
Eukaryotic cells
What does Borrellia recurrent cause
recurring fever
What does Borrellia Burgdorferi cause
Lyme disease
What does treponema palladium cause
Syphillis
What are Borrellia and Treponema palladium
Spiral bacteria
What does rotavirus cause
Vomiting and Diarrhea
What areas are open to bacteria
ALL mucosal surfaces Skin Beginning of urethra Kidneys Colon Mouth Eyes Anus
Are the lungs prone to bacterial colonisation
No, they should be sterile
What two shapes are most bacteria found in
Round (cocci)
Rod-shaped (bacilli)
How do gam stains help identify bacteria
Divides them into either gram positive or negative bacteria
How do we know what bacteria is gram positive
Stains purple
How do we know what bacteria is gram negative
Stains pink
What are two cocci gram positive bacteria called
diplococcus
What is a vibrio
Curved rod
What is a spirochaete
A spiral rod
Examples of spiral rods
Borrellia and Treponema palladium
Describe the structure of a bacteria
In order:
- Inner membrane
- Outer membrane
- Cell wall
- Capsule
- —— - Single chromosome of circular double stranded DNA free floating
- Pilli projecting from outermsmbrane into area (leg-like projections)
What bacteria has a double membrane
Gram negative
What bacteria has a single membrane
Gram positive
role of pilli
Used to attach to the host
Role of capsule
Protect from immune system/complement system
Difficult for immune system to recognise bacteria
Structure of a gram positive bacteria envelope
- Single cytoplasmic membrane
- Layer of peptidoglycan attached to outer part of cytoplasmic membrane
- Capsule
What binds the peptidoglycan layer to the membrane of a gram positive bacteria
Lipoteichoic acid
Structure of gram negative envelope
- Inner membrane
- THIINNER peptidoglycan sheet
- Lipoproteins
- Outer membrane
- A lipopolysaccharide layer (Endotoxin)
- Capsule
What are the spaces found between the lipoproteins called
Periplasmic space
What is the role of the lipopolysaccharide layer
It is a PAMP so can trigger immune response