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Year 1 - Principles (DP) > Microbiology > Flashcards

Microbiology Flashcards

0
Q

What is the protein that absorbs gram stain?

A

Peptidoglycan

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1
Q

What type of diseases to prions cause?

A

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

eg. CJD

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2
Q

Why does TB not gram stain well?

A

Has a waxy coat

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3
Q

What is the pathogenicity of a bacteria?

A

It’s ability to produce disease

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4
Q

What is the virulence of a pathogen?

A

The degree of pathogenicity - how easily it causes disease

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5
Q

What is the process by which bacteria replicate?

A

Binary fission

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6
Q

What bacteria produce exotoxins and where is it made?

A

Gram positive

Inside the cell

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7
Q

What bacteria produce endotoxins and where are they made?

A

Gram negative

Part of cell wall

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8
Q

What gram positive bacteria produce spores?

A

Clostridium sp.

Bacillus sp.

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9
Q

What is the most common cause of mould infection?

A

Aspergillus spp.

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10
Q

What is the most common fungal infection in humans?

A

Candida spp.

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11
Q

What causative agent of infection is not inactivated by sterilisation?

A

Prion proteins

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12
Q

What are species of gram positive cocci?

A

Streptococcus
Enterococcus
Staphylococcus

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13
Q

What environment do Strep and Entero grow in?

A

Aerobic

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14
Q

What arrangement are strep and enterococcus typically in?

A

Cocci in chains

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15
Q

What bacteria are classified by haemolysis?

A

Streptococcus

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16
Q

Which type of haemolysis is partial and why is it partial? What colouration results?

A

Alpha
Denatures haemoglobin
Greenish

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17
Q

What is beta haemolysis?

A

Complete haemolysis
Red cells broken down
Most pathogenic

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18
Q

What is gamma haemolysis?

A

No haemolysis

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19
Q

What are the examples alpha-haemolytic strep?

A

Strep. pneumoniae

Strep. “viridans”

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20
Q

What is the gram appearance of Strep pneumoniae?

A

Gram positive cocci in short chains/pairs

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21
Q

What are some examples of Beta haemolytic strep?

A

Group A - Strep. pyogenes

Group B - cause neonatal meningitis

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22
Q

What infections does Strep. pyogenes cause?

A

Strep throat (Tonsillitis)
Necrotising fasciitis
Puerperal sepsis

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23
Q

What is Strep. pyogenes sensitive to?

A

Penicillin and amoxicillin

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24
Q

What group of bacteria commonly cause UTIs?

A

Enterococcus

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25
Q

Are Enterococcus faecalis sensitive to amoxicillin and penicillin?

A

No. Just amoxicillin

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26
Q

What is the gram appearance of Staph?

A

Gram positive cocci in clusters

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27
Q

What is the only coagulase positive Staph?

A

Staph. aureus (appears golden)

28
Q

What is Staph epidermidis and what can it cause?

A

A skin commensal

IV line infections

29
Q

What are most Staph. aureus strains sensitive to?

A

Flucloxacillin

30
Q

What strain of Staph. aureus is resistant to all penicillins and all cephalosporins?

A

MRSA

31
Q

What chemical is responsible for the increase in the body’s thermal set point in a fever?

A

PGE

32
Q

Where is the body’s thermal control centre?

A

Anterior hypothalamus

33
Q

What is the sequence of events in sepsis?

A
  1. Capillaries leak into tissues
  2. Lower blood volume so increased load on heart
  3. Decreased tissue oxygenation
  4. Clotting factors used up so increased haemorrhage
34
Q

What is the main group of gram negative cocci?

A

Neisseria spp.

35
Q

What are the two main types of Neisseria and how do they arrange themselves?

A

Neisseria meningitidis
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Diplococci

36
Q

What are the coliforms?

A

Large Gram negative bacilli that look like E. coli

37
Q

Examples of gut commensal coliforms?

A

Most E. coli
Klebsiella spp
Enterobacter spp
Proteus spp

38
Q

Examples of pathogen coliforms?

A

Salmonella spp
Shigella spp
Verotoxin-producing E. coli (O157 and O104)

39
Q

What is the first line treatment for coliform infections?

A

Gentamicin

40
Q

What are the two main strict anaerobes?

A

Clostridium spp

Bacteroides spp

41
Q

Appearance of Clostridium spp?

A

Gram positive bacilli (with spores)

42
Q

What infections do Clostridium spp cause?

A

Diarrhoea
Gas gangrene
Tetanus

43
Q

What is the appearance of Bacteroides spp?

A

Gram negative bacilli

44
Q

What is the treatment for anaerobe infections?

A

Metronidazole

45
Q

What is the staining used for Mycobacteria?

A

Acid Fast Bacilli
Or
Acid-Alcohol Fact Bacilli

46
Q

What are the main examples of spirochaetes?

A 
Treponema pallidum (syphilis)
Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
47
Q

What are the two methods of genetics varitation in bacteria?

A

Mutation

Gene transfer

48
Q

What are the mechanisms for gene transfer in bacteria?

A

Transformation (DNA taken up by living bacteria)
Conjugation (bacterial sex)
Transduction (viruses transfer DNA between bacteria)

49
Q

What are the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance?

A

Production of enzymes
Altered binding sites
Altered cell wall porins
Up-regulation of effluent pumps

50
Q

What enzymes destroy antibiotics?

A

Beta-lactamase (early penicillins)

Carbapenemase (all penicillins, all cephalosporins and all carbapenems)

51
Q

How is MRSA resistance?

A

Altered penicillin binding site

52
Q

Which fungi is resistant via up-regulation of efflux?

A

Candida spp

53
Q

What is the sequence of events in viral infections?

A
  1. Attachment
  2. Entry (by pinocytosis)
  3. Uncoating
  4. Nucleic acid and protein synthesis
  5. Assembly
  6. Release (by budding/lysis)
54
Q

Which viruses show latency?

A

Herpes simplex

Varicella-zoster

55
Q

How can viral infections be detected?

A

PCR

Antigen detection

56
Q

Methods of antibiotic action

A

Act on cell wall
Affect ribosomes
Act directly on DNA

57
Q

What are the groups of antibiotics that act on the cell wall?

A

Penicillins
Cephalosporins
Glycopeptides

58
Q

How do penicillins work?

A

Cross-link peptidoglycan

59
Q

What are the three forms of penicillin?

A

Benzylpenicillin (penicillin G, IV)
Phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V, oral)
Benzathine penicillin (long acting, IM)

60
Q

How do cephalosporins work?

A

Inhibit cell wall synthesis

61
Q

Two examples of glycopeptides

A

Vancomycin

Teicoplanin

62
Q

What antibiotics inhibit protein synthesis?

A

Macrolides
Tetracyclines
Aminoglycosides
Others (clindamycin, chloramphenicol)

63
Q

Examples of macrolides

A

Erythromycin
Clarythromycin
Azithromycin

64
Q

What group does gentamicin belong to?

A

Aminoglycosides

65
Q

What antibiotics act on bacterial DNA?

A

Metronidazole
Trimethoprim (+/- sulphonamide)
Fluoroquinolones

66
Q

Examples of fluoroquinolones

A

Ciprofloxacin

Levofloxacin

67
Q

What antibiotics do we try to avoid?

A

The four Cs

  • Cephalosporins
  • Co-amoxiclav
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Clindamycin

Year 1 - Principles (DP) (5 decks)

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