Microbiology Basics

Question 1

Oxygen is poisonous for these four foul smelling microbes. They also like to produce gas.

Answer 1

Clostridium
Bacteroides
Fusobacterium
Actinomyces

-Susceptible to oxidative damage and generally foul smelling (short chain fatty acids)

Mnemonic: “Careless Bacteria Fart Alot”

Question 2

These microbes NEED oxygen to generate ATP.

Answer 2

Nocardia
Pseudomonas aerginosa
MycoBacterium

Mnemonic: Needy Pests Must Breathe

Question 3

These microbes release ammonia and cause an alkaline environment.

Answer 3

Urease positive:

Proteus
Cryptococcus 
H.pylori
Ureaplasma
Nocardia
Klebsiella
S.epidermidis
S.saprophyticus

Mnemonic: Pee CHUNKSS

Question 4

These microbes have no cell wall

Answer 4

Chlamydia
Rickettsiae
Anaplasma, (and Ehrlichia)
MycoPlasma, (and Ureaplasma)

Mnemonic: CRAMP

Question 5

Encapsulated bacteria

Answer 5

E.coli
group B strep
Nocardia 
S.pneumoniae 
Haemophilus influenzae 
Pseudomonas 
Salmonella 

Mnemonic: Encapsulated Bugs Normally Survive Human Phagocytosis. Savages!!

Question 6

Bugs causing watery diarrhea

Answer 6

C.difficile
C.perfringes
E.Coli; heat labile (LT) and heat stable (ST) toxins.
Protozoa; Giardia and cryptosporidum
V.cholera
Virus: Rota, noro, enteric adenovirus

Question 7

Bugs causing bloody diarrhea

Answer 7

Campylobacter
E. Histolytica
E.coli (enterohemorrhagic and enteroinvasive)
Salmonella (Has animal reservoir, poultry and eggs)
Shigella (Human reservoir only)
Y. enterocolitica