Intro + acellular microbes Flashcards
What is microbiology?
Study of microbes
What are microbes?
Living organisms and non-living entities that are so small they need to be viewed with a microscope
Term starting with ‘U’ used to describe microbes..
Ubiquitous - Found virtually everywhere
List roles of microbes - need to know 3
Affect health, produce oxygen, decomposers, antibiotics, food production, genetic engineering
Name the two main categories of microbes
Cellular and Acellular
Examples of Acellular microbes
Viruses and Prions
Pathogens
Disease causing microorganisms
Opportunistic pathogen
microbes that are usually harmless but can cause disease if they colonise the
wrong part of the body or when we are vulnerable to infection
Acellular Microbes
microbes that need to invade other cells to replicate or perform physiological functions (energy generation or protein synthesis), and they are not considered to be alive.
- single celled or no cell
Viroid
infectious particles that consist of short pieces of RNA that interfere with the function of plant cells
Prion
infectious particles that consist of small proteins that can cause neurological conditions in humans and animals
Describe virus structure
A genome of either DNA
or RNA and a protein coat called a
capsid made of proteins called capsomeres.
Why are viruses considered non living?
Need a host to replicate, only DNA or RNA not both, can’t make own energy
list the characteristics viruses are classified by
- type of genetic material (DNA or RNA)
- shape of the capsid
- number of capsomeres
- Presence or absence of an envelope
- type of host it infects
- types of disease it produces
- target cell
- Its antigenic properties (promotes immune system: antigen)
Bacteriophage
Viruses that infect bacteria
Obligate Intracellular parasite
Microorganisms that require a host to reproduce e.g. viruses
Why are antivirals hard to make due to Obligate Intracellular parasites?
the virus uses host cells to replicate so its difficult to find targets for the drug that will affect virus but not harm host microorganisms cells
