Module 2: Microbiology Flashcards
Antibiotics
Agent used to manage infection causing bacteria
Antimicrobials
Any agent that inhibit growth or kill microbes
Antiseptics
Antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection
Bacteria
Unicellular organisms that do not require living tissue to survive
Colonisation
Presence and multiplication of microorganism that is not yet causing disease
Commensal microorganism
An organism participating in a symbiotic relationship with the host in which one derives some benefit while the other is unaffected
Disinfectant
Antimicrobial agents that are applied to non-living objects to destroy microorganisms that are living on the objects
Endemic
Disease or infection regularly found among particular people or in a certain area
Epidemic
A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time
Fungi
Spore-bearing eukaryotic organism that becomes pathogenic if it breaches the hosts defences
Helminth
Parasitic intestinal worm
Infection
The invasion of the body’s tissues by disease-causing agents
Nosocomial infection
An infection that develops during hospitalisation
Opportunistic infection
An infection by a non-pathogenic organism that has become pathogenic due to an immunosuppressed state
Pathogen
A microorganism that causes disease
Pathogenicity
Capacity of microbes to cause disease
Protozoa
Single-cell organism that reproduce asexually by cell division
Virulence
A generic term for the ability of a pathogen to cause disease
Virus
A microscopic pathogen, that uses the host to replicate. Can only reproduce inside a host cell
Aerobic bacteria
Bacteria that can live and grow in the presence of oxygen
Anaerobic bacteria
Bacteria that can live and grow in the absence of oxygen. Some anaerobic bacteria are inhibited or killed by oxygen
Bacilli
Rod-shaped bacteria
Binary fission
The primary method of reproduction of prokaryotic organisms
Cocci
Spherical shaped bacteria
Diplo
Pair clusters
Endotoxin
Present in the cell wall of gram negative bacteria, liposaccaride
Exotoxin
Usually produced from gram positive bacteria, very toxic, protein substance
Facultatively anaerobic bacteria
Bacteria which is able to derive energy from aerobic or anaerobic metabolism (includes most intestinal pathogens)
Gram negative
A group of bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. Characterised by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wall sandwiched between an inner cytoplasmic cell membrane and a bacterial outer membrane
Gram positive
A group of bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test. Characterised by thick peptidoglycan layer cell wall
Gram staining
A method of staining used to differentiate bacterial species into two large groups (gram-positive and gram-negative). Gram staining differentiates bacteria by the chemical and physical properties of their cell walls by detecting peptidoglycan.
Obligate aerobic bacteria
Require oxygen as a source of energy and therefore for growth
Pili
Tiny hairlike structures to assist in attachment of bacteria to tissue and share genetic material
Spiral
Wavy shaped bacteria
Staph
Irregular clusters of bacteria
Strep
Chain clusters of bacteria
