Lecture 1

Question 1

Microorganisms are

Answer 1

Organisms that are too small to be clearly seen by the unaided eye
Range from microns to macroscopic
Relatively simple anatomy
Lack highly differentiated cells, lack tissues

Question 2

Types of microorganism from most complex

Answer 2

Fungi
Bacteria
Viruses
(Prions)

Question 3

Prokaryote

Answer 3

A single celled organism lacking a true nucleus and membrane bound organelles
Have cell walls (except for mycoplasma)

Question 4

Eukaryote

Answer 4

Cells with a true nucleus
Membrane bound organelles present
Cells of higher organisms
Can be single-celled or multicellular organisms

Question 5

Fungi

Answer 5

Kingdom Fungi includes moulds and yeast
Unicellular organisms
Can also exist as complex multicellular structures
Eukaryotic
Many have both asexual and sexual reproduction cycles
Examples:Bread mold,Penicillium, mushrooms, Ringworm

Question 6

Bacteria

Answer 6

Domain Bacteria contains many bacteria kingdoms
Ubiquitous and some live in extreme environments
Prokaryotic
Majority have cell wall with peptidoglycan
Lack a membrane-bound nucleus
Asexual reproduction
Majority require 1000X magnification to be seen

Question 7

Acellular Infectious Agents

Answer 7

Infectious “particles”
Are not cells
Have the ability to replicate, but only when they have infected a cell

Question 8

2 categories of Acellular Infectious Agents

Answer 8

Viruses
Prions

Question 9

Viruses are composed of

Answer 9

Genetic material material (DNA, RNA)
Protein capsule
Proteins and sugars for attaching to host cells
Lipid envelope layer

Question 10

Viruses are

Answer 10

Many virus families
Cannot replicate on their own
1000 – 100,000X smaller than bacteria

Question 10

Prions

Answer 10

Discovered by Stanley Prusiner in 1982
Infectious protein particle
Causative agent of the spongiform encephalopathies
Bovine spongiform encephalitis (Mad cow)
Scrapies

Question 11

Different disciplines involving microbio

Answer 11

Advanced imaging
Culture techniques
Molecular biology
Genomics
Proteomics
Biochemistry
Bacteriology, virology, mycology,
Immunology

Question 12

Binomial naming system

Answer 12

Official scientific name
Always give the Genus followed by species
Italicize (or underline) both the genus and species
Genus is capitalised; species is always lower-case

Question 13

Etiology

Answer 13

The study of the cause of disease

Question 14

Etiological agent

Answer 14

Whatever causes the disease
Can be a toxin, trauma, microorganism

Question 15

Infection

Answer 15

Invasion and multiplication of organisms inside the body
Usually causes injury
Injury can be direct or indirect

Question 16

Infectious

Answer 16

Capable of causing infection, capable of being transmitted by infection

Question 17

Infectivity

Answer 17

The ability to enter and replicate in a host

Question 18

Direct injury

Answer 18

When using in the context of an infection, refers to damage to tissues caused by the infectious organism
Ex. toxins produced by the bacteria

Question 19

Indirect injury

Answer 19

When using in the context of an infection, refers to damage to tissues caused by the immune system

Question 20

Host

Answer 20

An animal or plant on or in which a parasite or commensal organism lives
Example: in a case of a cold, a cold virus has infected a human host

Question 21

Host cell

Answer 21

A cell that has been infected by a microorganism, most commonly by a virus
In the case of a virus infection, the host cell becomes the site of virus replication

Question 22

Pathogen

Answer 22

A virus, bacteria, or other microorganism that can cause disease

Question 23

Pathogenic

Answer 23

The ability to cause disease

Question 24

Pathogenic factor

Answer 24

What allows the pathogen to cause disease

Question 25

Pathogenicity

Answer 25

Measure of how much damage a pathogen is able to cause to a host

Question 26

Non pathogenic

Answer 26

unable to cause disease

Question 27

Virulence

Answer 27

Similar to pathogenicity
Measure of a pathogen’s ability to overcome the body’s defenses

Question 28

Virulence factors

Answer 28

Similar to pathogenic factor

Question 29

Normal flora

Answer 29

Normally present on the healthy host

Question 30

Ubiquitous

Answer 30

Found everywhere

Question 31

In vivo

Answer 31

Within a living body

Question 32

In vitro

Answer 32

“Within a glass”
Outside the living body; usually in the context of a test tube or petri dish

Question 33

Culture

Answer 33

The propagation of microorganisms or living tissues in special growth media