Microbiology and Disease Flashcards
Acid-fast stain
a staining procedure for identifying bacteria that have a waxy cell wall
aerobes
bacteria that grow best in the presence of oxygen
Agar
A gelatin-like substance derived from seaweed that gives a culture medium its semisolid consistency
Anaerobe
A bacterium that grows best in the absence of oxygen
Bacillus
a rod-shaped bacterium
Coccus
A spherical, round, or ovoid bacterium
colony
A distinct group of microorganisms, visible with the naked eye, on the surface of a culture medium
culture
- In the sociolgic sense, a pattern of assumptions, beliefs, and practices that shape the way people think and act
- To place a sample of a specimen in or on a substance that allows microorganisms to grow in order to identify the microorganisms present
culture and sensitivity
a procedure that involves culturing a specimen and then testing the isolated bacteria’s suscebtibility (sensitivity) to certain antibiotics to determine which antibiotics would be must effective in treating an infection
Etiologic agent
A living microorganism or its toxin that may cause human disease
faculative
Able to adapt to different conditions; in microbiology, able to grow in environments either with or without oxygen
Gram-negative
Referring to bacteria that lose their purple color when decolorizer has been added during a gram stain
Gram-positive
Referring to bacteria that retain their purple color after a decolorizer has been added during a Gram stain
Gram-stain
A method of staining that differentiates bacteria according to the chemical composition of their cell walls
KOH mount
A type of mount used when a physician suspects a patient has a fungal infection of the skin, nails, or hair and to which potassium hydroxide is added to dissolve the keratin in cell walls
