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1. Microbiology > Important Definitions > Flashcards

Important Definitions Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is spontaneous generation?

A

False hypothesis that living

organisms can originate from non-living matter

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2
Q

What are Koch’s Postulates?

A

A sequence of experimental steps to relate a specific microbe to a specific disease

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3
Q

What is genetic engineering?

A

Use of microorganisms as molecular tools for the artificial manipulation of genes in cells

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4
Q

What is gene therapy?

A

A technique whereby an absent or faulty gene is replaced by a working gene

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5
Q

What are chemoorganotrophs?

A

Organisms that obtain their energy from organic compounds

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6
Q

What are aerobes?

A

Chemoorganotrophs that can extract energy from compounds in the presence of oxygen

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7
Q

What are anaerobes?

A

Chemoorganotrophs that can extract energy from compounds in the absence of oxygen

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8
Q

What are chemolithotrophs?

A

organisms that can trap the energy available in inorganic compounds

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9
Q

What are phototrophs?

A

organisms that can contain pigments that allow them to use light as an energy source- cells are coloured

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10
Q

What are heterotrophs?

A

Organisms requiring one or more organic compounds as their carbon source

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11
Q

What are autotrophs?

A

CO2 is the carbon source

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12
Q

What are growth factors?

A

Essential compounds that the organism is unable to synthesize from available nutrients

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13
Q

What are extremophiles?

A

Organisms that inhabit extreme environments

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14
Q

What are mesophiles?

A

organisms with an temperature range of

15-400C with an optimum of 370C

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15
Q

What are thermophiles?

A

organisms with an optimum temperature

between about 40C and 70C

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16
Q

What are hyperthermophiles?

A

organisms with an optimum

temperature of ≥80C and a max. as high as 115C

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17
Q

What are psychrophiles?

A

these cold-loving organisms are defined

by their ability to grow at 0–300C

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18
Q

What are obligate aerobes?

A

They require O2 for growth

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19
Q

What are obligate anaerobes?

A

They do not need or use O2 for growth

O2 is toxic - either kills or inhibits

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20
Q

What are facultative anaerobes?

A

Organisms that can switch between aerobic and anaerobic types of metabolism

Fermentation/anaerobic respiration or aerobic respiration

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21
Q

What are acidophiles?

A

Organisms which grow at an optimum pH well below neutrality

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22
Q

What are neutrophiles?

A

Organisms which grow best at neutral pH

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23
Q

What are alkaliphiles?

A

Organisms which grow best under alkaline conditions

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24
Q

What is general purpose media?

A

Supports the growth of many different species of microbes

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25
Q

What is enriched mmedia?

A

Media fortified with yeast extracts, or protein
infusions - useful in growing fastidious organisms

Addition of special nutrients, promotes the growth of any
bacteria that may be present

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26
Q

What is selective media?

A

encourage the growth of one organism whilst

suppressing the growth of another

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27
Q

What is differential media?

A

Differentiate

target organisms from a mixed culture

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28
Q

What is chemotaxis?

A

Response to a chemical gradient of attractant or repellent molecules in the environment

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29
Q

What are pili?

A

Pili are thin filamentous protein structures, that

extend from the surface of the bacterial cell

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30
Q

What is conjugation?

A

Conjugation is the transfer of genetic material

between bacteria through direct cell-to-cell contact

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31
Q

What is a glycocalyx?

A

a viscous covering of fibres outside of the cell wall

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32
Q

What is a capsule?

A

A glycocalyx that appears as an extensive,
tightly bound accumulation of gelatinous material
adhering to the cell wall,

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33
Q

What is a slime layer?

A

A glycocalyx that appears unorganised and more loosely attached

34
Q

What is a biofilm?

A

A common secreted adhesive matrix

35
Q

What are moulds?

A

Multinucleated filamentous fungi composed of threadlike strands of cells

36
Q

What are dermatophytes?

A

A group of moulds that cause superficial mycoses of the hair, skin and nails e.g. ringworm and athlete’s foot

37
Q

What are yeasts?

A

Unicellular fungi

38
Q

What are helminths?

A

Multicellular animals

39
Q

What are commensals?

A

The non-pathogenic bacteria that grow on the skin and in the mucous membranes (collectively the microbiome)

40
Q

What is competitive inhibition?

A

The inhibited access of potential pathogens to nutrients and binding sites

41
Q

What is microbiota dysbiosis?

A

Disturbing the gut causes disease such as coeliac

42
Q

What are the stages of bacterial pathogenesis?

A 
Exposure/entry
Adherence and local invasion
Colonisation
Invasion and growth
Evasion of the Host Immune Defenses
43
Q

What are degradative enzymes?

A

Enzymes that degrade components of the extracellular matrix providing bacteria with easier access to host cell surfaces

44
Q

What are cytolytic toxins?

A

Toxins that degrade integrity of cytoplasmic membranes causing cell lysis

45
Q

What are AB toxins?

A

Toxins consisting of two units

46
Q

What are superantigen toxins?

A

Toxins that over stimulate the immune system causing extensive inflammation and tissue damage

47
Q

What is innate immunity?

A

Nonspecific host defence mechanisms directed against a broad variety of pathogens

48
Q

What is adaptive immunity?

A

Specific host defences directed against individual species of pathogens

49
Q

What are antibodies?

A

Proteins found in blood or other bodily fluids used to identify and neutralize foreign objects, such as bacteria and viruses

50
Q

What is antigen switching?

A

The process by which pathogens can periodically change their surface antigens to prevent host antibody mediated activity e.g. Salmonella

51
Q

What is a compromised host?

A

One or more defence mechanisms are inactive

52
Q

How does infection spread?

6

A

Pathogen source

Reservoir of infection

Portal of exit

Mode of transmission

Portal of entry

Susceptible host

53
Q

What is a health care associated infection?

2

A

An infection contracted while a person is in a health-care facility

An infection that first appears 48 hours or more after hospital admission

54
Q

What are standard precautions?

A

Work practices that provide a basic level of infection control for the care of all patients/clients

55
Q

What are transmission based precautions?

A

Work practices that are used in addition to standard precautions when a patient is known to have/be colonised with a transmissible agent

56
Q

What is surveillance?

A

Work practices that allow investigation of chain of infection and monitoring of infection control practices

57
Q

What are the WHO My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene?

A

Before touching patient

Before clean/aseptic procedure

After body fluid exposure risk

After touching a patient

After touching patient surroundings

58
Q

What are the three microbial growth measures in the environment?

What are the three main ways of controlling microbes in the environment?

A

Decontamination

Disinfection

Sterilization

59
Q

What is decontamination?

A

treatment that renders an object or

inanimate surface safe for use or disposal

60
Q

What is disinfection?

A

destruction of vegetative organisms which
might cause disease (or in the context of food industries,
which might cause spoilage) - does not necessarily kill
spores

61
Q

What is sterilzation?

A

the killing or removal of all viable
organisms- implies the destruction of all microorganisms
including endospores

62
Q

What are the two microbial growth measures in the human host?

A

Antibiotic/antiviral/antifungal treatment

Vaccines

63
Q

What measure is used in physical methods of controlling microbes in the environment?

A

Sterilization

i.e. sterilization is used to physically remove microbes

64
Q

What measure is used in chemical methods of controlling microbes in the environment?

A

Disinfection

i.e. disinfectants are used in chemical methods of removing microbes

65
Q

What are the methods of sterilization used in a microbiology lab?

A

Red heat
Dry heat
Moist heat
Filtration

66
Q

What are the methods of sterilization used in a healthcare environment?

A

Moist heat
Radiation
Incineration

67
Q

What is a hot air oven?

A

A thermostatically controlled oven, fitted with a fan to ensure even temperature in all parts of the load

68
Q

Use of moist heat in micro lab?

2

A

Autoclave used to:

Safe discard of specimens and biohazardous waste

Sterilisation of culture media, reagents and equipment before use

69
Q

Use of moist heat in healthcare?

A

Autoclave used to sterilise medical devices

70
Q

What is an autoclave?

A

It applies steam heat under pressure at temperature above the boiling point of water and can thus kill both vegetative cells and endospores

71
Q

What is incineration?

A

A high-temperature dry oxidation process that reduces waste to inorganic matter

72
Q

What is filter sterilization?

A

Involves the physical removal of microorganisms from air or liquids

73
Q

Radiation makes use of what means to remove microbes?

A

Decontamination or sterilization

74
Q

What are disinfectants?

A

Chemicals used to kill microbes but not necessarily their endospores on inanimate objects or surfaces

75
Q

List the limitations of disinfectants.

6

A

Must be made up fresh daily

Must be made up at correct concentration

May be corrosive to skin

Activity is reduced in presence of large numbers of organisms e.g. biofilms

Inactivated by blood and plastics

Susceptibility of pathogen to disinfectant vaires

76
Q

What are cidal agents?

A

Antibiotics used to kill organisms

bacteriocidal, fungicidal, viricidal

77
Q

What are static agents?

2

A

Antibiotics that do not kill but only inhibit growth

bacteriostatic, fungiastatic, viristatic agents

78
Q

What are broad spectrum antibiotics?

A

Antibiotics that act on both gram pos and neg bacteria

79
Q

What are narrow spectrum antibiotics?

A

Antibiotics that act on a single group of organisms

80
Q

What are the five main targets antibiotics have in bacteria?

A

Cell wall

Protein synthesis

Nucleic acid synthesis

Cytoplasmic membrane

Folic acid synthesis

81
Q

What is a vaccine?

A

A preparation which is used to improve immunity to a particular infection - prevent infection

1. Microbiology (12 decks)

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