Chapter 1 Flashcards
Microbiology
- the study of microorganisms or microbes which are too small to be seen
- ex: bacteria, viruses,protozoans, fungi and microscopic algae
- the naked eye cannot see organisms smaller than 0.1mm
Health and disease
health- a state of physical, mental and social well-being
disease- a change from the state of health, a morbid process characterized by a collection of signs and syptoms
Signs and Symptoms
signs- OBJECTIVE findings that can be detected by examination
-fever, swelling, rash, white blood cell count
symptoms- SUBJECTIVE findings described by the patient
-headache, body aches, fatigue, numbness
Do microbes cause disease?
NO they do not. many microbes provide beneficial services for humans and the environment
Human Microbiome
- naturally occurring microbes that live in and on our body contribute to our health
- help regulate our digestion
- make compounds like vitamin K in our gut
- protect us from invading pathogenic organism
Beneficial Services of Microorganisms
- decompose organic waste
- landfills, compost, leaves in the woods - Can act as producers in the ecosystem using photosynthesis
- capture the sun’s energy and store it as food for animals to eat - produce fermented foods
- vinegar, cheese, beer, yogurt and bread - produce industrial chemicals
- ethanol and acetone - produce medicines
- antibiotics and insulin
pathogens
disease causing organisms
infectious disease
disease caused by a microbial infection (measles, colds, TB)
infection
growth of microbe in or on the body
noninfectious disease
disease not caused by a microbe (heart disease, cancer)
knowledge of microorganisms
allows humans to
- prevent food spoilage
- prevent disease occurrence
- make drugs and other compounds
-led to aseptic techniques to prevent contamination in medicine and in microbiology laborites
Naming and Classifying Microorganisms
- Linnaeus established scientific nomenclature
- 2 word name- genus and specific epithet
- called binomial nomenclature
scientific names
- the genus is the first word and the second word is the specific epithet
- both are italicized or underlined. Genus is capitalized
- they are “latinized” and worldwide
- descriptive or honoring scientist
- after first use, they may be abbreviated (E.coli)
2 Cell Types - Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic
Prokaryotic cells- do NOT have a membrane- enclosed nucleus (pro = before, karyo= nucleus)
Eukaryotic cells- do have a membrane enclosed- nucleus. (Eu= true) Also they have other membrane enclosed structures called organelles.
-Prokaryotic cells are more “primitive”
5- kingdom system
- bacteria (Monera)
- protozoans (Protista)
- Fungi
- plants
- animals
NOT USED IN THIS CLASS
Classification of Microorganisms- 3 domain system
- bacteria- prokaryotes with cell walls that contain peptidoglycan; single-celled
- archaea- prokaryotes without peptidoglycan in their cell walls; single-celled
- Eukarya- eukaryotes; 4 kingdoms in this domain
- protists- protozoans, algae, slime molds
- fungi- unicellular yeasts, molds and mushrooms
- plants- mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants
- animals- sponges, worms, insects and vertebrates (fish reptiles, amphibians, mammals)
Bacteria: Domain Bacteria
- prokaryotes
- peptidoglycan (chemical compound) in cell walls
- binary fission (divides in two)
- for energy, use organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals or photosynthesis