Microbiology 3.4 Flashcards
what are the 4 steps of gram staining?
- Crystal violet
- Treatment with iodine
- Decolorisation with alcohol
- Counter stain with safranin
What determines the difference in a gram positive and gram negative stain
the structure of the cell wall
what are the three layers of a gram positive bacteria
- cytoplasm
- cell membrane
- peptidoglycan
How would you describe the peptidoglycan layer in a gram positive bacteria
thick
give 3 ways that you could distinguish between types of bacteria
- size
- shape
- staining characteristics
what is a metabolic feature
chemical reactions
what is an antigenic feature
surface markers
what is genetic features
different genetic features by classification
what determines the shape of a bacteria
cell wall
what makes up the cell wall
DNA
what 2 names can be given to the chemical whose rigid 3D mesh gives the bacterial cell wall its structure
peptidoglycan/ murein
why does gram positive bacteria stay purple through gram stain
because of the thick peptidoglycan layer
why is it medically important to know if a bacterium is gram positive or gram negative
to know how to treat it, they are treated differently
what does the stage of decolorisation with alcohol do to gram negative
dissolves lippopolysaccharide layer, goes colourless
what does counter stain with safranin do to gram negative
stains thin peptidoglycan layer red
what are the 3 shapes of bacteria
- cocci
- bacilli
- spirilli
what shape is cocci bacteria
spherical
what shape is bacilli bacteria
rod shaped
what shape is spirilli bacteria
spiral shaped
what are the 5 necessary conditions for bacterial growth
- nutrients
- water
- oxygen
- temperature
- pH
what are the 3 nutrients for bacterial growth
- nitrogen
- glucose
- carbon compounds
why is nitrogen so important for bacterial growth
nitrogen- amino acids - proteins - growth
what is an obligate aerobe
bacteria that grows only when oxygen is present
what is an obligate anaerobe
bacteria that only grows without oxygen present