Microorganisms Flashcards
Microbes include…
bacteria, fungi, protozoa, microscopic algae, viruses
Pathogenic
disease producing
Prokarya
-Single-celled
-Cell walls made of peptidoglycan
-divide/multiple via binary fission
-Derive nutrition from organic or inorganic chemicals or photosynthesis
Archaea
-Lack peptidoglycan in cell walls
-Live in extreme environments!
-Generally not known to cause human disease
Eukarya
-Distinct nucleus
-Chitin cell walls
-Absorb organic chemicals for energy
-Fungi, protozoa, algae
Unicellular organisms…
yeasts, molds, mushrooms
Protozoa
-May be motile via pseudopods, cilia, or flagella
-Free living or parasitic (nutrients from living host)
-Reproduce sexually or asexually
Algae
-Cellulose cell walls
-Found in freshwater, saltwater, soil
-Photosynthesis for energy; produces oxygen and carbohydrates
-Sexual and asexual reproduction
Viruses
acellular, DNA/RNA inside a protein coat, replicated only inside a living host
Immunology
study of the immune system
Biofilms
collections of microbes that attach to solid surfaces and grow into masses (plaque)
Virology
study of viruses
Microbiome
group of microbes that live stably on/in the human body
Nomenclature
naming organisms by genus and species name
Multicellular animal parasites
flatworms, tapeworms, hookworms
Biogenesis
not spontaneous generation;
Louis Pasteur
demonstrated that microorganisms are present in the air; heat and pasteurization
Robert Hooke
came up with cell theory; all living things are composed of cells
Antibiotics
chemicals produced by bacteria and fungi that kill other microbes
Resistance
overuse can lead to it
Mycology
study of fungi
Parasitology
study of protozoa and parasitic worms
Germ Theory of Disease
Vaccination
immunization, substance is introduced into the body to produce protection from a specific disease
Bioremediation
-Bacteria are cultured in bulk and applied to sewage
-Microbes can be activated to multiply
-Microbes “eat up” pollutants and contaminants allowing for “cleaner” sewage
Clostridium difficile
C. diff: Gram positive, causes diarrhea
Escherichia coli
E. coli: Gram negative bacillus
Staphylococcus aureus
staph: -(staphylo=clusters, coccus=spherical) Gram positive
Aseptic technique
- Wash your hands
- Wear gloves
Emerging Infectious Disease (EID)
rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range
Prokaryotes
~1-5 µm
-One circular chromosome, not in a membrane (lacks nucleus)
-No histones or organelles
-Divides by binary fission
Bacteria: peptidoglycan cell wall
Achaea: pseudomurein cell wall
Eukaryotes
~10-100 µm
-Paired, linear chromosomes, enclosed in a nuclear membrane
-Histones, organelles, polysaccharide cell walls
-Divides by mitosis
