Microbiology Notes

Question 0

List four of the six classes of microbes?

Answer 0

Bacteria, Algae, Archae, Fungi

Question 1

What is a pathogen?

Answer 1

microbe that causes diseases.

Question 2

Why are microorganisms good?

Answer 2

They limit pathogens by using up the food supply, taking up space and secreting toxins and even antibodies.

Question 3

Who is known as the father of microbiology?

Answer 3

Antony van Leeuwenhoek

Question 4

What were Louis Pasteur’s achievements to microbiology?

Answer 4

• Devlopment of vaccines (from anthrax & rabies viruses)
• biogenesis
• sterilization and pasteurization
• fermentation

Question 5

What is the significance of the ‘Germ Theory’? Who discovered it?

Answer 5

Robert Koch discovered the Germ theory

Question 6

What are the main differences between Eu and Prokaryotes?

Answer 6

Eukaryotes have a true nucleus and Prokaryotes have no nucleus.

Question 7

What are the five structural charisteristics of bacteria?

Answer 7

• Diversity of shapes
• External cell wall
• Motility
• Adhering structures
• Spore production

Question 8

What is the difference between Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria?

Answer 8

Gram negative are pink to red and Gram positive are blue to purple

Question 9

What is the main function of Pili?

Answer 9

It allows bacteria to anchor to surfaces

Question 10

How do virus differ from bacteria?

Answer 10

Viruses are smaller and less complex than bacteria

Question 11

What is a prion?

Answer 11

They are small infectious proteins

Question 12

What are the factors that affect bacterial growth?

Answer 12

• Temperature
• pH
• Moisture
• Available nutrients and characteristics of surrounding microorganisms

Question 13

How do bacteria aquire new genetic information?

Answer 13

• Mutations
• Lysogenic conversions
• Transduction
• Transformation
• Conjugation

Question 14

What is the difference between acute and chronic disease?

Answer 14

Acute disease- rapid onset followed by rapid recovery

Chronic disease- low onset, lasts a long time

Question 15

What is the difference between endemic, epidemic, and pandemic?

Answer 15

Endemic- disease that is always present
Epidemic- disease occuring at a higher than usual rate in a population
Pandemic- disease in epidemic proportions worldwide

Question 16

What are the stages in the development od an infectious disease?

Answer 16

• entry of organism into host
• attachment to tissue
• multiplication
• invasion deeper into tissues
• damage to tissues

Question 17

What are the six stages in the chain of infection?

Answer 17

• Pathogen
• Resevoir
• Portal of exit
• Mode of transmission
• Portal of entry
• Susceptible host

Question 18

What are the ports of exit and entry of infectious diseases?

Answer 18

• skin
• respiratory
• GI
• salivary
• genital secretions
• blood
• zoonotic

Question 19

Define the following terms: contamination, disinfection, microbicidal agent, bacteriostatic agent.

Answer 19

Contamination- contamination of something with either a pathogen or non-pathogen.
Disinfection- destruction or removal of pathogens from non-living objects by physical or chemical methods.
Microbicidal agent- disinfectants that kill microbes.
Bacteriostatic agent- drug or chemical that inhabits growth and reproduction of microbes.

Question 20

Name the four Physical Antimicrobial Methods?

Answer 20

• heat
• pressure
• desiccation
• radiation, sonic disruption, and filtration

Question 21

Name the characteristics of good chemical antimicriobial agent?

Answer 21

• must kill pathogens within reasonable time & concentrations
• nontoxic to human tissues & noncorrosive & nondestructive
• must be soluble & easy to apply
• must be cheap & easy to prepare
• must be stable & dissolved in solid form
• should be stable to pH & temperature changes