intro to microbiology

Question 1

what is a eukaryotic species

Answer 1

a group of closely related organisms that breed amongst themselves

Question 1

what is a prokaryotic species

Answer 1

population of cells with similar characteristics
clone: population of cells derived from a single cell
strain: genetically different cells within a clone

Question 2

what is a viral species?

Answer 2

population of viruses with similar characteristics that occupies a particular ecological niche

Question 2

what is a viral species?

Answer 2

population of viruses with similar characteristics that occupies a particular ecological niche

Question 3

what shape are cocci and bacilli

Answer 3

round and rod shaped

Question 4

4 ways to classify bacteria by genotype

Answer 4

G+C ratio
DNA hybridisation
DNA fragment analysis
whole genome sequencing

Question 5

living characteristics of viruses

Answer 5

reproduce at high rate
can mutate

Question 6

non-living characteristics of viruses

Answer 6

acellular - contain no cytoplasm or cellular organelles
carry out no metabolism, must replicate using host cells metabolic machinery
most viruses contain DNA or RNA but not both

Question 7

what are prions?

Answer 7

protein containing particles with no detectable nucleic acid
can trigger normal proteins in brain to fold abnormally
slow infectious diseases that are highly resistant and there’s no inflammation or immune response

Question 8

4 drug resistant super bugs

Answer 8

MRSA - staph aureaus, resistant to penicillin, flucloxacillin
clostridium difficile
ESBL (extended spectrum beta-lactamases) bacteria - resistant to penicillin
VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococcus)

Question 9

6 main causes of antibiotic resistance

Answer 9

over-prescription of antibiotics
patients not finishing course of antibiotics
overuse of antibiotics in livestock and fishing
poor infection control in HC settings
poor hygiene and sanitation
absence of new antibiotics being discovered