Intro to Micro Flashcards
microbiology
study of biological organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye
bacteriology
study of single cell organisms
what is the kingdom studied in bacteriology?
kingdom monera
name the 4 basic bacterial shapes
coccus
bacilli
spiral
spirochete
mycology
study of simple plants known as fungi and yeast
what is the kingdom studied in mycology?
kingdom fungi
name the 2 fungal shapes
yeast
mold
virology
study of viruses and prions
name the 4 viral shapes
helical
polyhedral
spherical
complex
parasitology
study of simple and complex animals
what are the 2 kingdoms within parasitology?
- kingdom protista: protozoa
- kingdom animalia: helminths (worms)
what are the 2 phylum of helminths?
- nemahelminthes (round)
- platyhelminthes (flat)
trichomonas (vaginalis) and giardia are examples of ____
protozoa
tapeworms and roundworms are examples of ____
helminths
normal flora (microbiome)
any microbe that lives within or on the human body without causing harm to the host
opportunistic pathogens
any potentially infectious microbe considered as host’s normal flora that may cause disease if host’s resistance is low, or innate defenses have been breached
pathogen
any microbe that causes an infection or illness
pathogenesis
sequence of steps required resulting in manifestation of disease
epidemiology
study of factors determining frequency and distribution of disease
name the 5 requirements of infection
- entry
- establishment
- defeat host defenses
- damage the host
- transmission to new host
(repeat)
name 5 transmission mechanisms
- air
- food/water
- insect vectors
- person to person contact
- geographic distribution
name 5 propagation of epidemic disease factors
- poor socioeconomic conditions
- ignorance of how infections occur
- poor hygiene
- natural disasters
- war & relocation of refugees
virulence
potential of a pathogen to cause disease
virulence factors allow a pathogen to…
- persist in the host
- cause disease
- escape or defeat host defenses
what are the 2 types of host defenses?
- innate immune response
- adaptive immune response
innate immune response
- first line of defense
- non-specific
- cellular & chemical factors
adaptive immune response
- lethal response
- specific response
- memory
what is the easiest type of infection to treat?
bacterial
prevention of bacterial infections
antiseptics and disinfectants
treatment of bacterial infections
antibiotics
why are fungal infections more difficult to treat?
fungi share common cell structures with human cells (ie. have a nucleus)
treatment of fungal infections
antimycotics (antibiotics specific to fungi)
treatment of viral infections
no treatment:
- virus must be destroyed before entering cell; or
- host cell must be killed prior to releasing replicated viruses
treatment for protozoa
can cause severe human illness as protozoa are simple animals and thus share many cellular components
treatment for helminths
can cause severe human illness as helminths are more complex animals and thus share many cellular components
what is the best treatment of infectious disease?
prevention: public health & immunization
name 5 public health measures
- disinfection of water supplies
- monitoring of food supplies
- proper hygiene & sanitation
- proper waste removal & treatment
- insect & pest control
benefits of microbes
- recycle vital elements in soil
- convert environmental elements into usable form
- return CO2 to atmosphere
- recycle waste water
- decontaminate toxic spills
- production of chemicals, hormones, enzymes
- food production
