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Microbiology > Control of Microbial Growth > Flashcards

Control of Microbial Growth Flashcards

1
Q

Why control microbial growth?

A
  • To prevent spread of pathogens and disease in hospitals, nursing homes, medical offices, and homes
  • Prevent food contamination and spoilage at home and elsewhere
  • To prevent microbial degradation of material sin industry or in homes
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2
Q

Free of all viable organisms (by removal or killing)

A

Sterile

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3
Q

Process of killing or removing all microorganisms in a material or object including any spores

A

Sterilization

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4
Q

The process of decreasing the number of viable microorganisms on an inatimate object/surface to a level that presents a minimum possibility of disease transmission or contamination

A

Disinfectant

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5
Q

Disinfection of a living tissue

A

Antiseptic

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6
Q

Reduction of microbial population to levels deemed safe

A

Sanitation

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7
Q

Any physical or chemical agent that either kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth
-There are antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiprotozoal

A

Antimicrobial agent

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8
Q

Antimicrobial agent that kills microorganisms

-Could be bacteriocidal, viricidal, fungicidal

A

Microbiocidal

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9
Q

Antimicrobial agent that inhibits the growth of a microorganism
-Specifically could be bacteriostatic, viristatic, and fungistatic

A

Micobiostatic

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10
Q

Inability of microorganisms to reproduce

A

Death for microorganisms

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11
Q

Different antimicrobial agents can act in different ways to kill or inhibit

A

Mechanisms of death

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12
Q

Alternating the physical state of the cytoplasm damages…

A

Ribosomes

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13
Q

Inactivating enzymes–>

A

Destroys proteins in cells and viruses

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14
Q

Disrupting the cell membrane–>

A
  1. Alters cell membrane permeability
  2. Lyse cell membrane
  3. Affect transport
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15
Q

Disrupting cell wall–>

A

Cell lysis

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16
Q

Characteristics of microbial growth (3)

A
  1. Microorganisms are not killed instantly
  2. Population death usually occurs exponentially
  3. Measure of agents killing efficiency
17
Q

The time it takes to kill 90% or organisms

A

Decimal Reduction Time

18
Q

Cells that are viable but nonculturable, once they recover they may regain the ability to reproduce and cause infection

A

Persister Cells

19
Q

Conditions influencing the Effectiveness of Antimicrobial Activity

A
  1. Population size
  2. Population Concentration
  3. Concentration or intensity of an Antimicrobial Agent
  4. Duration of exposure
  5. Local Environment
20
Q

Effect of population size on Antimicrobial activity

A

Larger populations take longer to kill

21
Q

Physical control methods (4)

A
  1. Heat
  2. Filtration
  3. Radiation
  4. Dessication
22
Q

-Very effective, widely used, denatures proteins, nucleic acids and the cell membrane (termal lysis)

A

Heat

23
Q

Characteristics of Moist heat

A
  1. Steam or hot water
  2. More effective than dry heat
  3. Destroys viruses, fungi, and bacteria
  4. Degrades nucleic acids, denatures proteins, and disrupts membranes
24
Q

Characteristics of sub-boiling temperatures

A
  1. Mild heating to kill vegetative microbes
  2. Does not sterilize or kill endospores
  3. Disinfection
  4. Slows down microbial growth to allow food to last longer, used for materials that cannot be boiled
25
Q

Characteristics of Phenolics

A
  • Derieved from phenol
  • Commonly used as lab or hospital disinfectants
  • Denature proteins and disrupt cell membrane
  • Long lasting
  • Odorous and can cause skin irritation
26
Q

Characteristics of Alcohols

A
  • Denature proteins
  • Lipid solvents
  • Damage lipids in cell membrane and damage cell membrane
27
Q

Characteristics of Halogens

A
  1. Any of 5 elements, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine
  2. Important antimicrobial agents
28
Q

Characteristics of Iodine

A
  • Skin antiseptic
  • Oxidizes and denatures cell constituents and iodinates proteins
  • At high concentrations it may kill spores
29
Q

Iodine compound with an organic carrier, released slowly to minimize skin burns

A

Iodophore

30
Q

Iodine dissolved in ethanol

A

Tincture

31
Q

Characteristics of Chlorine

A
  • Oxidizes cell constituents especially proteins
  • Good for disinfection of water supplies
  • Destroys vegetative bacteria and fungi
  • Chlorine gas is sporicidal
32
Q

Characteristics of heavy metals

A
  • Ions of mercury, silver, arsenic zinc, and copper
  • Effective but usually toxic
  • When combined with inactive proteins it may also precipitate proteins
33
Q

Characteristics of Soap and Detergents

A
  • Emulsifying agents (amphipathic)
  • Make nonpolar molecules (lipids) more water soluble
  • Helps physically remove microorganisms from clothing
  • Denature protein and damage cell membrane
34
Q

Characteristics of Quaternary Ammonium compounds

A
  • Amphipathic organic cleansing agents
  • Antimicrobial activity
  • Effective disinfectants
35
Q

Characteristics of Aldehydes

A
  • Sporocidal and can be used as chemical sterilents
  • Combine with inactive nucleic acids and proteins
  • Used to preserve animal material
36
Q

Characteristics of Sterilizing Gases

A
  • Used to sterilize heat sensitive materials
  • Microbicidal and sporocidal
  • Combine with inactive DNA and proteins

Microbiology (7 decks)

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