M315 Final Flashcards
Describe the position of your hands when carrying the microscope to and from your laboratory bench.
Both hands should be used– one holding the bottom of the microscope and one holding the arm
Differentiate between the limit of resolution of the typical light microscope and that of the unaided human eye.
light microscope = 0.2 um
unaided human eye = 0.2 mm
What two adjustments can be made to the condenser?
height and diaphragm
What effect does adjusting the height of the condenser have?
When the condenser is raised, the amount of light on the slide is increased.
What effect does opening the diaphragm have?
When the diaphragm is open, the amount of light on the slide is increased.
Why are condenser adjustments preferred over the use of the light intensity control?
Condenser adjustments increase light without affecting the bulb light.
Why is it necessary to use oil in conjunction with the oil immersion lens and not with the other objectives?
The small working distance does not let enough let in alone and the oil is needed to direct more light into the lens. The oil has the same refractive index as glass.
What is the relationship between the working distance of an objective lens and its magnification power?
When the power of the objective lens increases, the working distance decreases.
Objective lens provides that provides the highest magnification
oil immersion
Objective lens that provides the second-highest magnification
high-dry (40x)
Objective lens that provides the lowest magnification
low power (5x)
This objective lens has the shortest working distance
oil immersion
The coarse focus knob should be adjusted only when using this objective lens
low power
This lens collects and focuses light from the lamp onto the specimen on the slide
condenser
This lens, also known as the eyepiece, often comes in pairs
ocular
Diopter adjustments can be made to this lens
ocular
A diaphragm is used to regulate light passing through this lens
condenser
TRUE or FALSE: Acetone is the safest solvent for cleaning an objective lens
FALSE– acetone is a powerful solvent that could possibly dissolve the lens mounting cement if used too liberally
TRUE or FALSE: only lint-free, optically safe tissue should be used to wipe off microscope lenses
TRUE
TRUE or FALSE: once focus in achieved at one magnification, a higher-power objective lens can be rotated into position without fear of striking the slide
TRUE
The resolving power of a microscope is a function of…
The magnifying power of the lenses and the numerical aperture of the lenses
The coarse and fine focus knobs adjust the distance between…
The stage and the objective lens
A microscope that maintains focus when the objective magnification is increased is called…
parfocal–hence why the microscope does not lose focus when increasing magnification
The total magnification achieved when using a 100 x oil immersion lens with 10 x binocular eyepieces is…
1000 x
The most useful adjustment for increasing image contrast in low-power magnification is…
closing down the diaphragm
Before the oil immersion lens is rotated into place, you should…
Center the object of interest in the preceding lens and place a drop of oil on the slide
In what ways do the macroscopic features of bacterial colonies differ from those of molds?
Bacteria colonies look smooth and small while mold is large and fuzzy.
Why is the level of contamination measured as number of colonies rather than size of colonies?
Colony size indicates growth rate. Number of colonies indicates number of cells present.
Should one be concerned to find bacteria on the skin? How about molds?
There are bacteria that normally grow on skin so that should not be a concern but mold can a sign of contamination from the environment.
How can microbial levels be controlled on the skin, surfaces in the environment, and in the air?
Skin: hand-washing
Surfaces: disinfectants, such as bleach
Air: filtration systems
Compare size of bacteria and eukaryotes.
Bacteria: .5-10 um
Eukaryotes: ~1000x bigger
Compare the organization of genetic material in bacteria and eukaryotes.
Bacteria: DNA is in the cytoplasm
Eukaryotes: DNA is in the nucleus
Compare the ribosomes of bacteria and eukaryotes.
Bacteria: 70S
Eukaryotes: 80S
Compare the cell wall of bacteria and eukaryotes.
Bacteria: cell wall made of peptidoglycan
Eukaryotes: cell wall made of chitin/cellulose
Compare the respiration and photosynthesis processes of bacteria and eukaryotes.
Bacteria: lack mitochondria and chloroplasts but can still carry out respiration and photosynthesis
Eukaryotes: respiration and photosynthesis occurs in mitochondria or chloroplast
Compare motility systems of bacteria and eukaryotes.
Both bacteria and eukaryotes have flagella for motility, but the bacterial flagella are simpler in structure and more numerous.
Staining of cells is often performed to enhance images acquired by brightfield microscopy. Phase-contrast microscopy does not require cell staining. Why is this advantageous?
Cell staining kills the cell. That does not happen in the phase-contrast microscopy so cell activity and movement can be monitored.
As light passes through a transparent object, how are direct and diffracted light rays produced? How much phase shift occurs?
Direct: produced when light passes through a transparent medium without a phase change
Diffracted: produced when light is bent with a phase shift of 1/4 the wavelength
How do coincidence and interference of light rays differ?
Coincidence: when direct and diffracted waves are brought into phase with each other which creates a brighter image
Interference: when two waves of the same amplitude are in reverse phase and cancel each other out, producing a dark image
Which two items can be used to check the alignment of the annulus and phase ring?
Centering telescope and optovar
A phase-contrast microscope differs from a brightfield microscope by having…
a diaphragm with an annular stop and a phase plate in the objective lens
What is the purpose of the annular stop?
To allow a hollow cone of light rays to pass through the condenser to the specimen.
Amplitude summation occurs in phase-contrast optics when both direct and diffracted rays are…
in phase
How is air contamination prevented when an inoculating loop is used to introduce or take a bacterial sample to/from an agar plate?
By holding the lid over the top of the plate when using the inoculating loop.
Where should a label be written on an agar plate?
On the bottom of the plate.
How should agar plates be incubated and why?
They should be incubated upside down in order to prevent moisture from condensing on the agar surface and spreading the inoculated organisms.
Against which organisms are disinfectants effective?
They are effective against vegetative cells and viruses.
Against which organism may disinfectants not be that effective?
Not very effective against bacterial endospores.
What disinfectants do we use in lab?
Ethanol
In regard to bacterial growth on solid media, define the term “colony.”
A single pure colony is the identical progeny derived from a single cell. One colony is equal to approximately one billion cells.
Why is dilution a necessary part of pure culture preparation?
Dilution is needed in order to isolate colonies.
What advantage(s) does the streak-plate method have over the pour-plate method?
Streak-plate method is more economical in materials and time.
What advantage(s) does the pour-plate method have over the streak-plate method?
Pour-plate method requires less skill.
Why is it better to make each of the four sets of streaks use approximately the same amount of the plate for the quadrant streak?
Isolated colonies may occur in any one of the four sets of streaks.
How many times should your loop be sterilized when using the quadrant streak isolation method?
6 times
Before inoculating and pouring molten nutrient agar into a plate, why must the agar first be cooled to 50 C?
To avoid condensation of moisture on the cover.
Describe the structure of a flagellum.
Composed of a filament, hook, and basal body
Lophotrichous flagella
Tuft of flagella at one end of the cell
Monotrichous flagella
One flagellum at one end of cell
Amphitrichous flagella
One flagellum at each end of cell
Peritrichous flagella
Flagella all over the cell
How do flagella generate cell motility?
There is a motor in the plasma membrane where it converts energy from the proton motive force.
What cell types do motility occur in?
Rod-shaped and spirochetes but almost never cocci.
Directional motility
Rapid swimming and directional change
Brownian movement
Jiggling motions without vectorial movement
Water current movement
Sweeping motion
Between wet mount and hanging drop slide preparations, which is more resistant to evaporation?
Hanging drop
Between wet mount and hanging drop slide preparations, which works best with phase-contrast microscopy?
Wet mount
What concentration of agar is used in a semisolid medium for motility determination and how does this compare to a typical solid medium?
Semisolid: 0.4%
Typical solid: 1.5
Why are semisolid media sometimes preferred over slide techniques for evaluating bacterial motility?
Exposure to pathogens is more likely with wet slides than semisolid and there are fewer false positives because there is no Brownian movement or water current.
Semisoft media is preferred over microscopic techniques for determining the motility of…
Pathogenic bacteria
Why is it important to limit quantity of cells used to prepare a smear?
Too many cells will result in large clumps, making it difficult to distinguish individual cells.
For preparation of a smear on a slide, what is the purpose of heat fixation?
Kills the cells and causes them to adhere to the glass so they do not get washed off during staining.
What problems can arise when the slide (during staining) is heated in a flame?
Overheating can damage the cells and cause them to distort in shape.
Why is the Gram stain considered a differential stain?
It differentiates two types of bacteria based on the composition of their cell walls.
How do gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria differ in cellular structure, and how does this contribute to their differential staining properties?
Gram-positive has a thick cell wall and retains the dye better from decolorizer than gram-negative which has a thin wall.
How does the age of a culture affect the Gram stain reaction?
Old cultures of Gram-positive may not retain the stain as well as younger cultures and could give false negative results.
What is an optimum age for a valid Gram reaction?
18-24 hours old
Which step in the Gram stain procedure is most prone to error?
The decolorizer step
What is the function of a mordant and which reagent serves this purpose in the Gram stain procedure?
A mordant combines with crystal violet and forms an insoluble complex in the Gram-positive cells. Iodine is used as the mordant.
List the reagents of the Gram stain technique in order and their general role in the staining process.
- Crystal violet: primary stain
- Grams iodine: mordant
- Alcohol: decolorizer
- Safranin: counterstain
In what type of cell would you find lipopolysaccharide in its cell wall?
Gram-negative
What is the role of oxygen for cellular respiration?
It is the final electron acceptor for the electron transport chain.
What type of metabolism occurs in the absence of oxygen?
Anaerobic
Obligate (strict) aerobes
Bacteria that needs to grow in oxygen because their metabolism requires oxygen. Carry out respiration in which oxygen is utilized as the terminal electron acceptor in the electron transport chain. (Psuedomonas, Micrococcus, Bacillus)
Microaerophiles
Aerobic bacteria that prefer to grow in oxygen concentrations of 2-10% rather than the 20% that is found in the atmosphere. Lower concentrations of oxygen is necessary for their respiratory metabolism. (Helicobacter pylori)
Facultative anaerobes
These bacteria grow very well aerobically but can also grow anaerobically if oxygen is not present. Their metabolism is flexible in that they undergo respiration if oxygen is present but they will undergo fermentation if oxygen is not present. (E. coli)
Aerotolerant anaerobes
These bacteria can tolerate oxygen and even grow in its presence, but they do not require oxygen for energy production, relying strictly on fermentation. (Streptococci that produce food products by fermentation, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenes)
Obligate (strict) anaerobes
These bacteria cannot tolerate oxygen and must be cultured under conditions in which oxygen is completely eliminated, or they will be harmed or killed by its presence. Only found among the prokaryotes and some protozoa, in soil, rumen of cattle, and anaerobic sewage digesters. (Clostridium, Methanococcus, Bacteroides)
What does Brewer’s Anaerobic Agar contain?
Thioglycollate (a reducing agent) and Resazurin (an oxidation/reduction indicator)
Why is a GasPak anaerobic jar necessary for the culture of anaerobes on plates of Brewer’s Anaerobic Agar but not in tubes of FTM?
Because FTM is placed in a tube and can facilitate growth for both anaerobes and aerobes. Anaerobes will grow at the bottom of the tube and aerobes wil grow at the top, due to oxygen being present closer to the surface. Also contains a small amount of agar which helps to localize the organisms and favors anaerobiasis on the bottom of the tube.
FTM
Fluid Thioglycollate Medium
A rich liquid medium that supports the growth of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Contains glucose, cystine, sodium thioglycollate and reazurin
TGYA shake
Solid medium that is used to prepare “shake tubes” used to determine the oxygen requirements of different bacteria. It is inoculated in the liquefied state, shaken to mix the organisms, and allowed to solidify. Oxygen requirements are determined based on where the growth occurs in the tube.
Psychrophiles
Bacteria that grow between -5C to 20C and are typically found in the supercooled waters of the Arctic and Antarctica.
Mesophiles
Bacteria that grow between 20C and 50C, which is what most bacteria grow in, including pathogens.
Thermophiles
Bacteria that grow between 50C to 80C.
Hyperthermophiles
Bacteria that grow in temperatures above 80C. Have been isolated from thermal vents deep within the ocean floor and from volcanic heated hot springs.
Differentiate between psychrophiles and psychrotrophs.
The difference is that psychrophiles have an optimum temperature range in which they specifically grow in cold temperatures, whereas psychotrophs grow outside of their optimum temperatures. For example, bacteria like Proteus are mesophiles but can grow at 4C.
Why are psychrotrophic bacteria of concern to those in the food-service industry?
They can grow at low temperatures, like refrigerator temperatures, but can also tolerate higher temperatures, so they can spoil food.
What is the optimum growth temperature for most human pathogens and why?
37C– this is the temperature of the human body.
How are enyzmes influenced by changes in temperature?
Each enzyme has its own optimum temperature range and if temperatures are above the maximum, enzymes begin to denature and lose activity. If they are below the minimum, chemical activity slows down and some denaturation occurs.
How is cellular transport influenced by changes in temperature?
As temperature decreases, transport of nutrients into the cell decreases due to fluidity changes in the membrane.
How are membrane lipids influenced by changes in temperature?
If the temperature increases above an organism’s maximum, membrane lipids can be destroyed, resulting in serious damage of the membrane and death of the organism.
How are ribosomes influenced by changes in temperature?
If extremes of temperature occur, ribosomes will cease to function adequately.
How does pH negatively affect the metabolism of microorganisms?
If pH values exceed the optimum, the solubility of charged molecules can be adversely affected and molecules can precipitate out of solution. pH can directly affect the charge on AAs in proteins and result in denaturation and loss of enzyme activity.
Neutrophiles
Bacteria that grow at or near neutral pH– most bacteria.
Acidophiles
Bacteria that grow at acidic pH.
Alkaliphiles
Bacteria that grow at alkaline pH.
How would the pH of a culture medium be influenced by sugar fermentation?
Fermentation of foods can yield acids such as lactic acid and acetic acids, which LOWER the pH of the food and prevent the growth of many microorganisms and the spoilage of food.