Microbiology Chapter 1.3 Flashcards
Are all microbes visible to the naked eye?
Most microbes are unicellular and small enough that they require artificial magnification to be seen. However, there are some unicellular microbes that are visible to the naked eye, and some multicellular organisms that are microscopic
How big must an object be without a microscope for one to see it with the naked eye?
An object must measure about 100 micrometers (µm) to be visible without a microscope and most microorganisms are many times smaller than that
Fun Fact
For some perspective, consider that a typical animal cell measures roughly 10 µm across but is still microscopic. Bacterial cells are typically about 1 µm, and viruses can be 10 times smaller than bacteria
What are the units of length in order?
Meter Decimeter Centimeter Millimeter Micrometer Nanometer
What does Meter equal too?
Nothing; 1 meter
What does the prefix of Decimeter mean?
1/10
What does the prefix of Centimeter mean?
1/100
What does the prefix of Millimeter mean?
1/1000
What does the prefix of Micrometer mean?
1/1,000,000
What does the prefix of Nanometer mean?
1/1,000,000,000
How do microorganisms differ?
In size, structure, habitat, metabolism, and many other characteristics
By definition, what does acellular mean?
A microbe that’s not composed of cells
Which is acellular, bacteria or viruses?
Viruses
What is the difference between the microorganisms in domains Archaea and Bacteria as opposed to microorganisms in domain Eukarya?
Microbes within the domains Bacteria and Archaea are all prokaryotes, whereas microbes in the domain Eukarya are eukaryotes
Describe prokaryotes
Microbes whose cells lack a nucleus
