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Microbiology Flashcards

1
Q

What is microbiology?

A

study of small life forms only detected under a microscope

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2
Q

What are microorganisms?

A
  • small living things
  • everywhere in the environment
  • can be beneficial
  • can be harmful
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3
Q

What should MAs know about micorbiology?

A
  • basic knowledge of cell structure
  • ability to distinguish harmless from harmful
  • understand which types of pathogens cause disease
  • how to prevent and spread diseases
  • education patient about disease
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4
Q

What are non-pathogens?

A
  • can’t cause disease under normal conditions
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5
Q

What is normal flora?

A

bacteria that lives in and on the body that assists systems stay in homeostasis
- can cause infection if they invade other body areas or overgrow

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6
Q

Where are non-pathogens found?

A
  • oral cavities
  • GI tract
  • on skin
  • genital areas
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7
Q

What microorganism is found in the GI tract?

A

Lactobacillus acidophilus

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8
Q

How can microorganisms cause disease?

A
  • use nutrients needed by the cells and tissues they invade
  • damage body cells by reproducing themselves within cells
  • make body cells that target the body’s own defenses
  • produce cell and tissue-damaging toxins or poisons
  • remain localized or may travel throughout the body, damaging or killing cells and tissues
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9
Q

What acts as a barrier for microorganisms?

A
  • resident normal flora
  • intact skin
  • mucous membranes
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10
Q

What does means of transmission mean?

A

how the pathogen spreads to a host

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11
Q

What are examples of transmission?

A
  • airborne
  • droplet
  • bloodborne
  • foodborne
  • fecal to oral
  • mucus membranes
  • vector-borne
  • direct contact
  • fomites (indirect contact)
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12
Q

What is the cycle of infection?

A
  • means of transmission
  • means of entrance
  • susceptible host
  • reservoir host
  • means of exit
  • means of transmission
  • repeats
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13
Q

What is medical asepsis?

A
  • maintain strict housekeeping standards
  • adheres to government guidelines
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14
Q

What is hand hygiene?

A
  • common means of transmitting pathogens via touch
  • most important aseptic procedure that can break the cycle of infection
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15
Q

When should MAs wash hands?

A
  • start of shift
  • before/after eating
  • before/after bathroom
  • before/after smoking/vaping
  • when hands are clearly dirty
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16
Q

What is the criteria for hand sanitizer?

A

at least 60% alcohol

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17
Q

What is bacteria?

A
  • single cell microorganisms
  • can survive without living tissues
  • have various classification and shapes
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18
Q

What does aerobic mean?

A

bacteria that needs air to grow and multiply

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19
Q

What does anaerobic mean?

A

bacteria that can grow and multiply without air

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20
Q

What is rickettsiae?

A
  • live and grow only inside other living things (vectors)
  • acquired from insect bites
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21
Q

What are vectors?

A

animals that carry bacteria
- person infected from bites

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22
Q

What are diseases from ticks?

A
  • rocky mountain spotted fever
  • lyme disease
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23
Q

What are diseases from dogs/bats?

A

rabies

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24
Q

What are diseases from mosquitoes?

A
  • encephalitis
  • malaria
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25
Q

What are the common bacteria shapes?

A
  • coccus
  • spirillum
  • vibrio
  • bacillus
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26
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for whooping cough?

A

bordetella pertussis
- airborne

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27
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for chlamydia?

A

chlamydia trachomatis
- sexual

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28
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for tetanus?

A

clostridium tetani
- deep wounds

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29
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for diphtheria?

A

corynebacterium diphtheriae
- droplet

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30
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for meningitis?

A

group b streptococcus
- droplet

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31
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for peptic ulcer disease?

A

helicobacter pylori
- fecal to oral, oral to anal

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32
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for tuberculosis?

A

mycobacterium tuberculosis
- airborne/droplet

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33
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for rocky mountain spotted fever?

A

rickettsia rickettsii
- vector (tick)

34
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for boils, septicemia, pneumonia?

A

streptococcus aureus
- contact

35
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for pneumonia?

A

streptococcus pneumoniae
- airborne, droplet, contact

36
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for strep throat, rheumatic fever, septicemia?

A

streptococcus pyogenes
- droplet

37
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for syphilis?

A

treponema pallidum
- sexual

38
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for diarrhea, UTI?

A

escherichia coli
- foodborne

39
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for lyme disease?

A

borrelia burgdorferi
- vector

40
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for monoculeosis?

A

epstein-barr virus
- saliva

41
Q

What are viruses?

A

smallest known infectious agents
- needs living tissue to survive and grow

42
Q

What are some characteristics of viruses?

A
  • attaches to host cells in the person
  • takes control of cell, destroys cell and nearby cells
  • can attack immediately
  • can lie dormant
  • challenging for the lab to grow/test
  • difficult to kill due to mutations during replication
43
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for hepatitis A?

A

Hepatitis A
- fecal-oral

44
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for hepatitis B?

A

hep B
- bloodborne
- sexual

45
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for hepatitis C?

A

hep c
- bloodborne

46
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for cold sores, genital warts?

A

herpes simplex
- blister fluid, sexual

47
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for HIV, AIDS?

A

human immunodeficiency
- bloodborne, sexual

48
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for genital warts, cervical cancer?

A

human papillomavirus
- sexual

49
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for influenza?

A

influenza
- airborne, droplet

50
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for measles?

A

measles
- airborne, droplet

51
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for mumps?

A

mumps
- airborne, droplet

52
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for rabies?

A

rabies
- vector

53
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for common cold?

A

rhinovirus
- droplet, contact, fomites?

54
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for german measles?

A

rubella
- airborne, droplet

55
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for chickenpox, shingles?

A

varicella zoster
- airborne, droplet, contact with blisters

56
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for smallpox?

A

variola major
- contact, fomites

57
Q

What is fungus?

A

mold
- single cell fungi = yeast

58
Q

What are the characteristics of fungi?

A
  • grows on or in animals and plants
  • most do not normally cause disease
  • persons with weakened immune systems at risk for serious fungal infections
  • can be useful (source of antibiotics)
59
Q

What are common fungal infections?

A
  • athlete’s foot
  • vaginal yeast infection
60
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for cadidiasis?

A

candida albicans
- overgrowth of normal flora

61
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for ringworm, athlete’s foot?

A

trichophyton rubrum, trichophyton tonsurans
- contact

62
Q

What are protozoas?

A

single-cell parasites

63
Q

What are the characteristics of protozoas?

A
  • microscopic or large enough to be seen with a microscope
  • replicate rapidly inside host
  • thrives in damp environments (standing water, ponds, lakes)
64
Q

What is the most common protozoa?

A

entamoeba histolytica

65
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for amebiasis?

A

entamoeba histolytica
- fecal to oral

66
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for giardiasis?

A

giardia intestinalis
- fecal to oral

67
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for malaria?

A

plasmodium parasites
- vector (mosquito)

68
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for trichinosis?

A

trichinella spiralis
- foodborne (Undercooked pork)

69
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for trichomoniasis?

A

trichomonas vaginalis (sexual)

70
Q

What do multicellular parasites do?

A

cause infestations and infections

71
Q

What are the common multicellular parasites?

A
  • lice
  • bedbugs
  • scabies
  • helminths (worms, flukes, nematodes)
72
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for roundworm?

A

ascaris lumbricoides
- contaminated soil

73
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for tapeworm?

A

Diphyllobothrium latum
- foodborne

74
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for pinworms?

A

enterobius vermicularis
- fecal to oral

75
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for head lice?

A

pediculus humanus capitis
- infested hair

76
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for pubic lice?

A

phthirus pubis
- infested pubic hair

77
Q

What is the pathogen and transmission for scabies?

A

sarcoptes scabiei
- contact

78
Q

What does immunocompetent mean?

A

normal functioning immune system

79
Q

What does immunodeficient, immunocompromised, immunosuppressed mean?

A
  • active cancer treatment
  • organ transplant
  • advanced or untreated HIV infection
  • active treatment with corticosteroids or other drugs
80
Q

What are opportunistic infections?

A

caused by microorganisms that would not cause an infection in an immunocompetent patient

Medical Assisting (51 decks)

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