Lecture 6 Flashcards
Define colonization.
When there is a sufficiently high concentration of organisms at a site that they can be detected.
Define contamination.
Organism not present initially, but was introduced (modes of transmission-pervious lectures, arthropods, sexual, etc.)
Define carrier.
Person colonized with an organism and is able to transmit the organism to other people.
Define infectious disease.
Disorders caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites.
How long can colonization persist?
For days to years
What is colonization influenced by?
Factors such as immune response to the organism, competition at the site from other organisms, use of antimicrobials, etc.
What is the typical size of bacteria? What size does 10^12 of bacteria occupy and weigh?
- typical size is 1 to 2 um
- 10^12 bacteria occupies 1 cubic meter
- weighs 1 gram
How many bacteria on on a human?
10 to 100 trillion bacteria
How quickly does metabolic efficiency replicate?
*every 20 minutes (average)
Note: mycobacteria is slower
The amazing speed of nutrient conversion and biosynthesis is necessary for what?
- to anticipate bacterial weaknesses
* suggest how to intervene therapeutically against pathogenic bacteria
What is growth in bacterial culture also known as?
population dynamics
Describe population dynamics in a chart.
- lag: at 2 and slowly rises
- exponential rises quickly
- stationary starts to die off
Total count is the highest point of the chart and viable count is the amount in the stationary section.
How long is exponential growth?
5 to 10 hours of growth
What are some examples of mechanisms of action of drugs that treat bacteria?
- inhibition of protein synthesis
- inhibition of metabolic pathways
- decrease cell wall integrity
- inactivation of cell wall synthesis
Bacteria grow in a large variety of habitats. What are the most abundantly populated by microbes?
- humans
* anatomic sites: colon, large bowel, urethra, vagina, and nasopharynx are highly colonized
Other than humans, where can bacteria grow?
Basically anywhere including deep sea vents, in ponds, oceans, air conditioners, in food, etc.
What are the 3 requirements for bacterial growth?
- energy
- nutrients (environment must contain all nutrients needed)
- environment
What kind of energy is required for bacterial growth?
Chemical energy is required for the synthesis of new cellular components.