Microorganisms Flashcards
What is bioremediation
Microbes used for cleaning up the environment by breaking down toxic substances
What is agricultural microbiology
Recycling nutrients and decomposing materials in soil
What’s the purpose of a capsule
AIDS attachment to surface
What’s the function of a cell wall
Maintains cell shap and protects
What’s the function of a chromosome
Contains genetic info for cells metabolism and reproduction
What’s the function of a plasmid
Contains genetic info that supplements info in chromosome
What’s the function of pili or fimbriae
Helps cell attach and transfers genetic info between cells
What’s the function of an endospore
Enables cell to resist heat and desiccation
What is the purpose of a gram test
Using dye to distinguish prokaryote/bacteria cells and indentifying them
What is gram positive
When a prokaryote has more layers of peptidoglycan and stain purple
What is gram negative
When the cell has a different composition and stains pink
What is the temperature and pH bacteria grow in
37 degrees Celsius and pH 7
What’s a superficial infection
Infections that occur on the outer parts of the body such as skin or mucus membranes e.g propionibacterium acne
What a systemic infection
Infections of tissues and organs such as in the blood e.g tonsillitis or strep throat
What are characteristics of fungi
Eukaryotic cells
Multicelled except for yeasts
What are characteristics of yeasts
Variations of round shapes
Reproduce by budding or binary fission
What are characteristics of moulds
They are filamentous
They form mycelium
What’s a systemic fungal infection
Affects tissues or organs such as Candida
What’s a superficial fungal infection
Infection on the skin or mucus membrane such as tinea, ringworm or athletes foot
What are the main features of Protozoa
Eukaryotic cells
Single celled
Are divided up by their way of movement eg flagella, cilia or pseudopodia
What are diseases caused by Protozoa
Malaria, trich, toxoplasmosis and cryptosporidium
What makes viruses different from other microbes
The are acellular
They need a host cell to replicate
Are obligate intercellular parasites
What are the steps of viral reproduction
A- attachment to host cell E- entry and uncoating R - replication A- assembly of Virion R - release of virus particles from host cell
What are the structures of viruses?
They consist of nucleic acid, capsomere, capsid and some have spikes and an envelope
