Microbiology 1 Flashcards
What is microbiology ?
- the study of organisms and agents too small to be seen by the unaided eye – i.e. microorganisms
- Its subjects include bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa
What are the size of viruses ?
10 - 1000nm
What are the size of bacteria ?
0.1 - 5um
What are the size of protozoa ?
5 - 200 um
What are the 3 main groups of microorganisms?
virus
bacteria
protozoa
What are infectious diseases caused by?
pathogenic microorganisms - can easily be spread from one person to another
What are pathogenic microorganisms ?
such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi; the diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another
How much do infections still cause death ?
1/3 of all deaths worldwide and the lead cause of death mainly because of disease in developing countries
What is the % of deaths from infectious disease caused by only a handful of diseases?
90%
What is an ocular surface viral infection ?
Herpes Simplex keratitis
What is an ocular surface bacterial infection ?
Bacterial keratitis
What is an ocular surface chlamydial infection ?
Trachoma
What is an ocular surface protozoal infection ?
Acanthamoeba keratitis
What is an ocular surface fungal infection ?
Fungal keratitis
What are the prevention of infection ?
vaccination
What do vaccination programmes use ?
vaccines contained pathogen specific antigens to elicit a protective immune response in the recipient
What does repeated vaccination enhance ?
the effectiveness of the antibody response and also elicits cell mediated response
e.g for old people - vaccine needs to be altered against new variants
How else can we fight infection ?
from using antibiotics - they are most frequently prescribed
What do antibiotics do?
cure disease by killing or interfering with the growth of bacteria
What will other antibiotics target ?
- a wider range of bacteria, these are known as broad spectrum antibiotics
What are spectrum antibiotics ?
targeting a wider range of bacteria, these are known as broad spectrum antibiotics
What is superbugs ?
often used to refer to the healthcare-associated infections (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) MRSA and Clostridium difficile (C.difficile) that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics
how does Antibiotic resistance arise by?
the drug killing the defenceless bacteria and “selecting,” in biological terms–those that can resist it.
What is epidemic?
most commonly used to describe an outbreak of an illness or disease in which the number of individual cases significantly exceeds the usual or “expected” number of cases in any given population e.g. Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014
,
What is pandemic?
which means “all the people,” describes an epidemic which occurs in more than one country or population simultaneously. An example of a disease which has reached pandemic proportions is the AIDS/HIV virus and more recently COVID-19
what do large numbers of bacteria do ?
inhabit the human body (significantly greater than the total number of cells in the body!) with at least 800 different species