Exam 1 Microbes

Question 1

Genuses known to produce bacterial spores

Answer 1

Bacillus and Clostridium (tetani, causative agent of tetanus)

Question 2

Bacillus anthracis

Answer 2

Studied by Robert Koch when discovering relationships between bacteria and disease (Koch’s Postulates), the causative agent of anthrax

Question 3

Bacteria Genus Mycoplasma

Answer 3

Pleomorphic bacteria with no cell wall, causative agent of walking pneumonia

Question 4

Pyrococcus furiosus

Answer 4

Archaeal hyperthermophile, means “rushing fireball”, lives near underwater vents and has 50 flagella, source of Pfu polymerase (homologue to Taq polymerase)

Question 5

Influenza Virus

Answer 5

Enveloped virus containing segmented +ssRNA genome (can act as mRNA), hemagglutinin spikes bind to host cell sialic acid, neuraminidase spikes cleave host lipids and proteins to release virus from the infected host, utilize RNA replicase to make a copy of the RNA genome in the host cytoplasm

Question 6

Porphyomonas gingivalis

Answer 6

Causative agent of periodontal disease

Question 7

Streptococcus mutans

Answer 7

Causative agent of Caries (tooth decay)

Question 8

Poxviruses

Answer 8

Largest of animal viruses, have complex symmetry (oval shaped)

Question 9

Bacteria Genus Deinococcus

Answer 9

Tetrad formation, can withstand extreme radiation due to robust DNA repair mechanisms

Question 10

Chemolithotrophs

Answer 10

Bacteria that oxidize inorganic molecules (ex. Fe and S) for energy, discovered by Winogradsky

Question 11

Thermus aquaticus

Answer 11

Thermophile (45-85C), source of Taq polymerase

Question 12

Escherichia coli

Answer 12

Mesophile (20-45C), Gram-, rod-shaped

Question 13

Bacteria Genus Chlamydomonas

Answer 13

Psychrophiles (0-20C), responsible for watermelon snow

Question 14

Herpesviruses

Answer 14

DNA virus with its own DNA polymerase

Question 15

Archaea genus Haloquadratum

Answer 15

Square tetrad, lives in high salt environments

Question 16

Borrelia burgdorferi

Answer 16

Spirochete, causative agent of Lyme’s disease

Question 17

HIV (gp120)

Answer 17

Enveloped retrovirus (utilizes reverse transcriptase to become provirus), attaches primarily to helper T cells via CD4 receptor and CCR5 coreceptor on the surface of the cell

Question 18

SARS-CoV2

Answer 18

Enveloped coronavirus, spike protein binds to ACE2 (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2) receptor, cleaves angiotensis hormon used in blood pressure regulation

Question 19

Bacteria Genus Thiomargarita

Answer 19

“Sulfur pearl”, >100um, one of the biggest bacteria

Question 20

Bacteria Genus Mycobacterium

Answer 20

Causative agent of Tuberculosis

Question 21

Neissera meningitidis

Answer 21

Causative agent of meningitis

Question 22

Phylum Cyanobacteria

Answer 22

Photosynthetic bacteria, include membrane-bound thylakoid organelles

Question 23

Smallest and largest viruses

Answer 23

Parvovirus (3 genes), Mimivirus (900 genes)