Module 1: Basic Concepts in Veterinary Microbiology Flashcards
Biological science that deals with the study of microscopic organisms.
Microbiology
Study of bacteria
Bacteriology
Study of viruses
Virology
Study of fungi (yeast and molds)
Mycology
Study of algae
Phycology
Concerned with the identification of causative agents of diseases, diagnostic procedures for the causative agents and possible measures to prevent and treat infections.
Medical Microbiology
Concerned with water purification, microbiological examination and biological degradation of wastes in water resources.
Aquatic Microbiology
It evaluates the degree and spread of contamination, spoilage and dissemination of infections.
Aero-microbiology
It is concerned with the safety of procedures involved in
the preparation and preservation of food, recognizes the etiology of food-borne diseases and their preventive measures.
Food Microbiology
Concerned with the preservation and management of soil fertility; recognition of plant and animal diseases; their treatment, management and control.
Agricultural Microbiology
It deals on the production of medicinal products like vaccines, antibiotics, fermented beverages, production of hormones and proteins by genetically-engineered microbes.
Industrial Microbiology
An interdisciplinary study on the interactions of microorganisms with earth materials. It is reportedly concerned in determining the role of microbes in geological and geochemical processes. The field of geochemical microbiology has revealed new insights into the
intersection of life with the physical and chemical composition of Earth’s
surface.
Geochemical Microbiology
A field that considers ways for the “exploration for life” in outer space, investigates various conditions that may contribute to the growth of both higher and lower forms of life in the upper strata of the atmosphere.
Exo-microbiology
By the 13th century, fear of
the disease reportedly took a drastic turn in the formation of small leper colonies intended to isolate people carrying this disease.
Mycobacterium leprae
In 1348, a mass epidemic caused by a single by this organism reportedly wiped out nearly one third (1/3) of the European population.
Yersinia pestis
This proposes the idea that life originated as a result of forces that were
generated as a consequence of the collision and explosion of the heavenly bodies
which took place in ancient times.
Big Bang Theory
This supports the belief that God created the universe and every living form that thrives in it. Many insist on the biblical implication of this theory.
Divine Creation Theory
This concept agrees with the idea that animate or living forms on earth came from inanimate forms.
Spontaneous generation
(Heterogenesis/ Abiogenesis)
This theory considers that living things came only from living things. This principle is contradictory to the theory of spontaneous generation.
Biogenesis
This follows the idea that inorganic compounds in the atmosphere interact
with electrical charges (ultraviolet rays). The charged substances form organic compounds when subjected to physical effects in the environment and are degraded into amino acids.
Theory of Chemical Evolution Process
Disease was believed to be given to humans as a result of the wrath of
divine spirits for the punishment of individual sins. This belief persisted for many centuries and is still observed at the present time among uncivilized tribes.
Theurgical theory of disease
This theory says that diseases are caused by emanations from the soil,
influence of the stars, the moon, the winds, the water or tides and the seasons. Hippocrates is claimed as the proponent of this theory. On this treatise, the relationship of disease with different fluids, changes in temperature, moisture and the direction of the wind is reportedly emphasized. It is likewise postulated that four elements (fire, air, water and earth) and four qualities (heat, cold, moisture and dryness) corresponded to the four fluids or humors of the body (blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile) and any imbalance to these contributes to disease.
Miasmatic theory of disease
This doctrine believes that disproportion and abnormal symmetry of pores result to disease and that change in the position of pores in afflicted parts assures recovery in human beings and animals from illness.
Pore theory
This supports the speculation that disease is attributed to the presence
of causative agents known as germs. The earliest doctrine of infection reportedly came close to the truth based on observations of the epidemics of plague, syphilis, anthrax and typhus in humans.
Germ theory
Early account on the existence of infectious diseases was reportedly made in the paramount articles made by this scientist. Descriptions that denoted the presence of infections were reportedly based on the results of his research work on syphilis.
Fracastoro (1546, Italy)
The first morphological features of bacteria known today were reportedly by him. As a lens grinder, he had seen microscopic objects with various sizes and shapes. His significant contribution to microbiology reportedly involved development of lenses that magnified objects about 200 to 300 times their actual sizes. Those microscopes were further refined as years went by to bring in the best resolution and magnification needed for the microscopic evaluation of living organisms.
Anthony Van Leeuwenhoek
(1676, Holland)
The first observation on the possible inhibition of bacterial growth in meat infusion after heating was reported by him.
Spallanzani (1765)
This scientist was the first to make an account on anthrax bacilli which he
observed in his studies on sheep blood. Recent reports have described the
anthrax bacillus in other domestic animals including an anthrax bacillus from
human origin.
Davaine (1850)
He was an industrial microbiologist who introduced different
methods of sterilization for different solutions that were contained in flasks to reduce contamination. The monumental contributions of him
noted in the field of Industrial Microbiology. These included sterilization methods that made milk safe for consumption without reducing its quality (pasteurization
of milk), preparation of the finest wine and production of acetic acid through the process of fermentation. Significant milestones in studies on anthrax, fowl cholera, swine erysipelas and rabies.
Louis Pasteur (1860)
A famous bacteriologist and various techniques in bacteriology that are still in use are introduced by him (use of solid media and staining methods). His studies involved isolation of tubercle bacilli
(Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and the causative
agent of Asiatic cholera. His involvement in studies with the tubercle bacillus paved the way for the development of the tuberculin. A criterion for identifying
pathogens which are currently used to evaluate experimental and infections.
Robert Koch (1843-1910)
True or False
Koch’s Postulates:
- The microorganisms must be found in abundance in all organisms suffering from the disease, but should not be found in healthy organisms.
- The microorganisms must be isolated from a diseased organism and grown in pure culture.
- The cultured microorganisms should cause disease when introduced into healthy organisms.
- The microorganisms must be reisolated from the inoculated, diseased experimental host and identified as being identical to the original specific causative agent.
True
The use of cotton plugs in the study of bacteria is still practiced in the
present time. The use of cotton plugs in test tubes was reportedly introduced by them. Cotton plugs are reportedly effective in facilitating the entry of oxygen inside the test tubes allowing aerobes to grow under normal culture conditions. The cotton plugs reportedly minimize microbial contamination as it can function as a filter for dirt that carries microbial contaminants.
Schroeder and Dusch
He included the introduction and
utilization of antiseptics. Antiseptics effectively function in arresting bacterial contamination and multiplication in wounded tissues of superficial tissues of the body. Antiseptics are applied in dressing wounds to minimize tissue injury and facilitate wound healing.
Lester
He reportedly invented the first microscope.
Cornelius Drebbel
(1590-1610)
He gave major contributions in the refinement of the microscope.
Galileo (1609)
He made the most significant contribution in the development of microscopes used in the field of Microbiology.
Anthony Van Leewoenhoek (1632)
He led the discovery of a product obtained from Penicillium notatum (Penicillin) which has been used for many years to treat infections by pathogenic strains of Staphylococcus.
Alexander Fleming
Are minute living forms that can be visible only through the use of a microscope.
Microorganisms
Unicellular prokaryotic living organism.
Bacteria
A living organism with a nuclear component not enclosed by a
nuclear membrane.
Prokaryote
A living organism with a nuclear component enclosed by a
distinct nuclear membrane.
Eukaryote
Eukaryotic plant-like organisms devoid of chlorophyll.
Fungi
A measure of the degree of bacterial pathogenicity.
Virulence
Process of weakening or reducing the virulence of a
pathogen.
Attenuation
It refers to a population of microbes growing in a given environment.
Culture
Denotes a bacterial culture that contains a single species of
microbes have the same genetic make-up.
Pure culture
A mixture of nutrients needed to support the growth and multiplication of a bacterium.
Culture medium
A compact mass of bacterial cells growing visibly on the surface of a medium.
Colony
A descendant of a bacterial pure culture.
Strain
It refers to the existence of a disease caused by a living pathogen.
Infection
A pathogenic organism that can be transmitted from one susceptible animal to another.
Contagion
Refers to a new infection concomitant to an existing infection.
Superinfection
An infection caused by more than one species of pathogens.
Mixed infection
A living host that appears normal yet it continuously discharges a virulent organism in its excretions.
Carrier
A living host with a recognized infection and has not completely gotten rid of itself of the infection.
Convalescent carrier
A living host which has no history of a
disease but eliminates the pathogen that causes the disease.
Asymptotic carrier
Application of physical methods that destroy all forms of living pathogens.
Sterilization
Application of chemical methods that destroy all forms of living pathogens.
Disinfection
A chemical agent that kills growing and infective forms of bacteria.
Disinfectant
A chemical agent applied to living tissues with the purpose of preventing microbial growth and proliferation.
Antiseptic
A chemical agent applied to inanimate objects with the purpose of reducing microbial population to safe levels.
Sanitizer
A chemical agent that kills microbes.
Germicide
A condition that retards or prevents the growth and multiplication of bacteria.
Bacteriostatis
Refers to the confinement of a pathogenic infection within a particular anatomical spot.
Localized infection
Refers to the spread of infection and its end-products generally all over the body.
Generalized infection
Refers to the confinement of an infection in a restricted area but can serve as the potential source of infection to other parts of the body.
Focal infection
Infection that is usually held in check by the defense forces of the body.
Latent infection
Refers to the presence of bacteria in the blood.
Bacteremia
Refers to the presence of bacteria in the blood where it can
multiply and produce toxins.
Septicemia
Refers to the presence of pus-forming pathogens in the blood.
Pyemia
Refers to the presence of toxins in the blood liberated by bacteria
undergoing lysis.
Taxomia
Refers to the presence of saprophytes on dead tissues which
produce toxins that aggravate existing pathological conditions when absorbed by the body.
Sapremia
These are bacteria isolated from their natural habitats.
“Wild type” bacteria
A bacterial culture that contains a single species of microbes.
Axenic culture
An ordinary commensal but under certain circumstances can cause a disease that lowers the host’s resistance.
Potential pathogen
Organisms that are generally harmless in their normal habitat but can cause a disease upon gaining access to other sites.
Opportunistic pathogens
An organism that always causes a disease when it encounters an animal or any living host.
Obligate pathogen
The capacity of an organism to produce a disease.
Pathogenicity
The capacity of an organism to establish itself and cause
infection in tissues and organs.
Infectivity
Refers to the capacity of a pathogen to produce toxic metabolites.
Toxigenicity
A microbe that can initiate a disease on its own.
Primary agent of disease
A microbe that invades or establishes itself in tissues
that have been infected by a primary agent.
Secondary invader
Are animals in whose fauna and flora are known and
previously defined.
Gnotobiotic
Animals that have come from stocks delivered through caesarean operations.
Specific pathogen free
