Microbiology and infection – infectious agents and pathogenic microorganisms

Question 1

What is the order of size, biological complexity, life cycle, prokaryotic/ eukaryotic, haploid - diploid, genomes and genetics

Answer 1

1. viruses
2. bacteria
3. fungi
4. parasites

Question 2

Describe the relative sizes of microbes

Answer 2

Light microscope = plant cell, animal cell and bacteria between 1mm-1um

electron microscope = plant, animal, bacteria, poxvirus, ribosomes viruses and proteins between 1x10^-4 cm - 1nm

X-ray = poxvirus, ribosome viruses and proteins between 1x10^-7 cm - 10x10^-10

NMR = proteins, small molecules and atoms between 10^-9 - 10^-10

Question 3

What is identification essential to understand?

Answer 3

• Biology and microbiology
• Evolution and phylogenetics
• Pathogenesis of infectious diseases
• Life cycles
• Accurate diagnosis
• Effective treatment
• Public health control of infectious diseases

Question 4

What are the criteria for identification?

Answer 4

• Structural, functional and metabolic observations

* Molecular, genetic and genome analysis

Question 5

Describe the genome sizes: no of bp, number of protein-coding genes and gene density

Answer 5

On table

Question 6

What is the size and structural features of viruses?

Answer 6

20nm-300nm

DNA/RNA genome

no cytoplasm

envelope or non-envelope

Question 7

Describe the size and structure of bacteria

Answer 7

0.5um-3um

circular genome

no nucleus

no mitochondria

binary fission

rigid cell wall

Question 8

Describe the size and structure of fungi

Answer 8

Over 2um

eukaryotic

haploid or diploid DNA

Rigid Chitin wall

classification if based on growth form, reproduction and disease caused

Question 9

Describe the size and structure of parasites

Answer 9

between 5 - 300um

single or multi nuclei

haploid

may have flagella