Bacteria - Intro Flashcards
What 4 characteristics are used to identify bacteria?
Size
Shape
growth requirments
staining characteristics
What shape are cocci?
Spherical
What shape are bacilli?
Rod-shaped
How can you tell between gram negative & gram positive bacteria?
Gram negative are pink/red
Gram postive are purple
What do gram postivie bacteria have that gram negative dont?
A thick peptodoglycan layer (in gram negative its very thin) in thier cell wall.
What do gram negative bacteria have that gram postive dont?
A second periplasmic space
An outer membrane made from lipopolysaccharide & protein)
What do penicillin binding proteins in bacterial cells do?
They are enzymes that produce peptidoglycans
What is the make up & function of peptidoglycans in a bacterial cell?
- Strength & shape to the cell
- Carb polymers cross linked to amino acids.
What is LPS?
Lipopolysaccharide
An endotoxin
A component of the gram negative cell wall
What are flagellum & whats their function?
Thread like appendages that enable motility of the cell
(think microscopic whip)
What are fimbraie & thier function?
a series of threadlike appendages forming a fringe.
function-adherence
How are differnent bacterial strains identified?
By DNA typing techniques
What part of a bacteriums name denotes the GEnus?
The first part
e.g. the staphylococcus of staph. aureus.
What part of a bacterium’s name denotes the species
The second part
E.g. the baumannii of acinetobacter baumannii
What does LPS do?
Ilicits a strong immune response in animals & humans
Jesus Christ its an endotoxin!
