Lesson 4: Microbial Diversity: Acellular, Prokaryotic, and Eukaryotic Microbes Flashcards
Prokaryotic Cells
simple cells, do not contain a true nucleus, lack other membrane-bound organelles but can still perform many of the same activities as eukaryotic cells. Include archaea, cyanobacteria, and bacteria.
Archaea
ancient bacteria, extremophiles, can survive extreme temps, extremely alkaline or acidic waters, extremely salty environments, reduced oxygen areas . Are abundantly found in environments hostile to other life forms
Cyanobacteria
blue-green algae, obtain energy through photosynthesis, can manufacture their own food through converting light energy into chemical energy, found mostly in aquatic environments, or with damp soil and moistened rocks, some species produce toxins making them poisonous to plants and animals, unicellular but tend to grow in colonies large enough to see
Bacteria
simplest forms of cellular life, have all characteristics of other prokaryotic cells, come in various shapes, are beneficial to life and maintaining balance but are also responsible for disease. All bacteria have a cell wall made up of peptidoglycan that protects the cell
Antibiotics
can kill bacteria without harming the human body
3 shapes of bacteria
spheres (cocci), Rods (bacilli), and curved or spirals (spirilla)
Diseases caused by bacteria
anthrax, bacterial meningitis, bacterial pneumonia, botulism, cholera, diphtheria, flesh-eating disease, gas gangrene, gonorrhea, impetigo, leprosy, plague, respiratory infections, rocky mountain spotted fever, strep throat, syphilis, tetanus, tissue gas, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, whooping cough
Eukaryotic Cells
complex cells, have true nucleus, DNA is enclosed in a nuclear membrane, contain complex structures called organelles, include algae, fungi, and protozoa
Algae
photosynthetic (use light as an energy source), can be unicellular or multicellular, can be green, red, or brown algae, seaweed, kelp, or green scum on rocks. Source of food, iodine, minerals, fertilizers, gelling agents, or emulsifiers. Some types are toxins which can be fatal or non-fatal.
Fungi
many are saprophytes, main food source is dead and decaying organic matter, can be unicellular or multicellular, include mushrooms, molds, and yeasts. can be found in soil water, and in/on the human body. Can live in low moisture areas, areas with acidic pH, high sugar, or high salt. Are part of production of cheese, yogurt, beer, wine, certain drugs and antibiotics. Some are pathogenic, but most fungal infections are harmless to healthy individuals.
Diseases Caused by Algae
Diarrheic shellfish poisoning, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, paralytic shellfish poisoning, and amnestic shellfish poisoning (red tide poisoning).
Diseases Caused by Fungi
Dermatomycosis (fungal skin infection such as athlete’s foot), pneumocystis pneumonia, candidiasis (thrush, vaginal yeast infections), histoplasmosis (respiratory infection), coccidiomycosis (respiratory infection), blastomycosis (respiratory infection).
Protozoa
eukaryotic, animal-like organisms, most are single-celled and live in soil and water, include amoebas and paramecium, are divided by group based on locomotion, some are parasitic, many protozoal diseases are transmitted from ingesting food or water that has been contaminated with fecal material.
Diseases Caused by Protozoa
African sleeping sickness, amebic dysentery, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, malaria, toxoplasmosis, trichomoniasis.
Viruses
parasites in all types of organisms, can only reproduce with other living cells, simple in structure but can cause life-threatening disease, besides infecting human cells they can also infect fungi, protozoa, and bacteria, lack typical structures of true cells, invade other cells and use their structures to replicate and produce more viral particles, structure is a central core containing a nucleic acid (either RNA or DNA), nucleic acid is surrounded by protein coat called capsid, capsid may be enclosed in protective envelope with or without spikes. Viruses are inert and inactive without a host cell but when they invade they take over the metabolic machinery of the cell and reproduce and are free to invade and attack other healthy cells.
