Microbes Flashcards
what are prions
proteins which can make copies of themselves and spread from person to person
what must be used to see viruses
electron microscope
how does the genetic material differ in viruses
- single or double stranded
- RNA or DNA
what does it mean when viruses have an envelope
they have a lipid bilayer on the outside which makes it less easy to disrupt the virus
why are there spikes on the outside of the virus
to allow it to attach to specific cell surfaces as they must bind to a cell before they can enter it
what is a bacteriophage
a virus that infects and replicates within a bacteria
what is the capsule of a bacteria made up of
polysaccharides
what Is the cell wall of a bacteria made from
peptidoglycan
true or false: the bacterial capsule is a virulence factor
true, as it enhances the bacteria’s ability to cause disease
What are the 3 bacterial shapes
- coccus (round)
- Spirillus (spiral)
- Bacillus (rod)
what are the 2 arrangements of bacteria
- clusters
2. chains
what are aerobes
microbes that can survive in the presence of oxygen
what are obligate aerobes
microbes that require oxygen for survival
what are anaerobes
microbes that survive in the absence of oxygen
what are obligate anaerobes
microbes that require an oxygen free environment for survival
what is used to name bacteria, fungi and parasites
Linnaean taxonomy
what are organisms named using Linnaean taxonomy
Genus + species
give 3 examples of virulence factors
- polysaccharide caspule
- pili (structure to allow attachment
- iron sequestration
give an example of a substance which causes iron sequestration
siderophores
what are exotoxins
toxic substances secreted by the bacteria deliberately to cause damage to the host and allow bacterial replication
what are endotoxins
substances such as lipopolysaccharides that are released when the bacteria breaks down
how does the ribosome size differ in prokaryotes and eukaryotes
70S in prokaryotes and 80S eukaryotes
true or false: prokaryotes have membrane bound organelles
false
true or false: fungi and parasites are prokaryotes
false