biology and classification of micro-organisms

Question 1

Define the following terms: Taxonomy, Morphology, Virulence.

Answer 1

Taxonomy:
The scientific discipline of classifying and naming organisms based on shared characteristics and relationships. It organizes living organisms into hierarchical groups such as domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.

Morphology:
The study of the structure and form of organisms, including their shape, size, and physical features. Morphology can refer to both macroscopic (e.g., body shape) and microscopic (e.g., cellular structure) characteristics.

Virulence:
The degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism, referring to its ability to infect a host, cause disease, and evade the immune response. Virulence factors (e.g., toxins, enzymes) contribute to a pathogen’s capacity to cause harm.