Intro to Med Micro Flashcards
Microbiology includes which four types of organisms?
1) bacteria
2) virus
3) fungi
4) parasites
Approximately how many cells are in our body? And how many bacteria are in our body?
cells in body - 10^14 cells
bacteria in body - 10^15 cells
Which is bigger, viruses or bacteria?
bacteria
Which is bigger, bacteria or protozoa/fungi?
protozoa/ fungi
Can you see viruses with light microscope?
No, electronic microscope is needed
What is the smallest infectious particles?
viruses
True or False. Bacteria are multicellular organisms
FALSE. they are unicellular
If bacteria are prokaryotes, what about fungi and parasites?
fungi and parasites are both eukaryotes
True or False. Fungi are ALL multicellular
False. yeast is unicellular
Of the four categories of microorganisms, which is the smallest?
viruses
Of the four categories of microorganisms, which is the most complex?
parasites
Are parasites unicellular or multicellular?
both
What is the difference between eukaryotes and prokaryotes in regards to presence of nucleus?
prokaryotes do not have nucleus (bacteria)
True or False. Humans and bacteria utilize the same ribosomes?
False. bacteria use a smaller ribosome (70S)
What structure is unique to bacteria?
peptidoglycan cell wall
What are some ways to detect bacteria in clinical samples (5)?
1) microscopy
2) detection of bacterial antigens
3) detection of bacterial nucleic acids
4) culture - metabolic properties
5) detection of antibody response to bacteria (such as looking for IgM –> primary infection Abs)
What are some ways to classify bacteria (5)?
1) visible features
2) nutrition
3) end products
4) surface molecules
5) nucleic acid
What type of visible features are used to classify bacteria?
1) shape
2) spore formation
3) Gram reaction
How is nutrition used to classify bacteria?
1) growth media
2) aerobic vs. anaerobic
3) temperature required for optimal growth
What are you looking for when using end products to classify bacteria?
production of specific enzymes or toxins
What are some surface molecules that can be used to classify bacteria?
unique proteins, sugars or lipids - usually cell surface
What is a more rigid classification system currently being delineated?
nucleic acid analysis
What shape do cocci have?
spherical
What shape do bacilli have?
rod - straight or curved
What shape do spirochetes have?
spirals
True or False. Both Gram (+) and Gram (-) have peptidoglycan in their cell wall
True
A bacteria is Gram (+), what color will it be?
purple
A bacteria is Gram (-), what color will it be?
reddish, pink
Is peptidoglycan located external or internal to the capsule?
internal
Is peptidoglycan located external or internal to cytoplasmic membrane?
external
What is the function of peptidoglycan in bacteria?
protection against physical/mechanical, osmotic, chemical and biological agents
True or False. peptidoglycan determines shape
TRUE
True or False. peptidoglycan makes for a good drug target
True, bc it’s not in humans
What are some proinflammatory effects of peptidoglycan?
1) fixes complement
2) binds to pattern recognition receptors (ex. toll-like receptors)
3) triggers TNF production (via NFk-B)
Why do Gram (+) bacteria turn purple?
the crystal violet is trapped in a thick, cross-linked peptidoglycan layer
What are two components of Gram (+) envelope?
1) peptidoglycan
2) teichoic acid
Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) is associated with which structure?
plasma membrane
Teichoic acid is associated with which structure?
peptidoglycan
What is the purpose of teichoic acid and LTA?
promote attachement to other bacteria and to host cells