Ch 1: Critters

Question 1

Describe Microbes: Bacteria
Description
Characteristics
Nutrient Type
Durable State 
Diseases

Answer 1

Description: eubacteria, archaeabacteria, Gram-negative, Gram-positive, acid fast, cyanobacteria
Characteristics: prokaryotes, absorbers, wet conditions, animal decomposers, cell walls, unicellular
Nutrient Type: all types
Durable state: endospores (some)
Diseases: tetanus, botulism, gonorrhea, chlamydia, tuberculosis, etc., etc., etc.

Question 2

Suffix for rod-shaped bacteria*

Answer 2

• bacilli, -bacillus

Question 3

Suffix for sphere-shaped bacteria

Answer 3

-cocci, -coccus

Question 4

Suffix for spiral-shaped bacteria

Answer 4

-spiri, -spiro

Question 5

Prefix for two bacteria

Answer 5

diplo-

Question 6

Prefix for a strand of bacteria

Answer 6

Strepto-

Question 7

Prefix for a cluster or group of bacteria

Answer 7

Staphylo-

Question 8

Prefix for a cluster of four bacteria

Answer 8

Tetrad-

Question 9

Prefix for a “cube” of eight bacteria

Answer 9

Sarcinae-

Question 10

Describe cyanobacteria
Description
Types
Nutrient Type
Durable State 
Diseases

Answer 10

Description: incorrectly called blue-green algae, cyanobacteria are a kind of bacteria (more specifically, a kind of eubacteria)
Types: photosynthetic aquatic prokaryotes, green lake scum, cell walls
Nutrient Type: photoautotrophs
Durable state: ?
Diseases: none

Question 11

Describe fungi
Description
Types
Nutrient Type
Durable State 
Diseases

Answer 11

Description: yeasts (unicellular fungi), molds (filamentous fungi)
Types: eukaryotes, nutrient absorbers, dry conditions, plant decomposers, cell walls, ~100 human pathogens
Nutrient Type: chemoheterotrophs
Durable state: spores (not endospores)
Diseases: mycoses: candida, ringworm (pictured), athlete’s foot, jock itch, etc.

Question 12

Describe protists (protozoans)
Description
Types
Motility
Durable State 
Diseases

Answer 12

Description: Unicellular and multicellular slime molds, flagellates, ciliates, amoeba
Types/characteristics: eukaryotes, few parasites, engulfers and absorbers, wet conditions, no cell wall, ~30 human pathogens
Motility: cilia, flagella, pseudopodia, [apicomplexans (need host to move)]
Durable state: cysts (some)
Diseases: malaria, giardiasis, amoebic dysentery, etc. (shown are harmless–to us–protist components of pond water: Amoeba, Blepharisma, Paramecium, & Stentor)

Question 13

Describe protists (algae)
Description
Types
Nutrient Type
Durable State 
Diseases

Answer 13

Description: photosynthetic aquatic eukaryotes, cell walls, both unicellular and multicellular types
Types: brown, red, green, diatoms, dinoflagellates, euglenoids
Nutrient Type: photoautotrophs
Durable state:?
Diseases: Some poisonings associated with unicellular types: Alexandrium causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP), Dinophysis causes Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP), Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries causes Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) [some would describe some as protists]

Question 14

Describe helminths
Description
Types
Nutrient Type
Durable State 
Diseases

Answer 14

Description: Flatworms (platyhelminths), roundworms (nematodes)
Types: (multicellular animal) parasites, engulfers and absorbers
Nutrient Type: chemoheterotrophs
Durable state:?
Diseases: trichinosis, hook worm, tape worm (pictured are scoleces [heads] – the proglottids [tails] are not shown)

Question 15

Describe viruses
Description
Types
Nutrient Type
Durable State 
Diseases

Answer 15

Description: Viruses are not cells but some viruses do have lipid envelopes
Types: acellular (not alive), obligate intracellular parasites
Nutrient Type: not applicable
Durable state: virion particles, some can encase in durable state of host
Diseases: common cold, flu, HIV, herpes, chicken pox, etc.

Question 16

Describe prions

Answer 16

Infectious proteinaceous particles

These are rogue versions of normal brain proteins which contribute to memory storage

These odd agents have only been partially understood in the past decade and are responsible for thirteen identified diseases like Mad-Cow Disease, Creutchfeld-Jakob, Kuru, Fatal Familial Insomnia . . .

All are Spongiform Encephalopathys

Mad Cow Disease traced to pet food plant in Waco, Texas