Module #2 Vocabulary Flashcards
Pathogen
An organism that causes desease.
Saprophyte
An organism that feeds on dead matter.
Parasite
An organism that feeds on a living host.
Aerobic organism
An organism that requires oxygen.
Anaerobic organism
An organism that does not require oxygen.
Steady state
A state in which members of a population die as quickly as the new members are born.
Exponential growth
Population growth that is unhindered because of the abundance of resources for an ever-increasing population.
Logistic growth
Population growth that is controlled by limited resources.
Conjugation
A temporary union of two organisms for the purpose of DNA transfer.
Plasmid
A small, circular section of extra DNA that confers one or more traits to a bacterium and can be reproduced separately from the main bacterial genetic code.
Transformation
The transfer of a DNA segment from a nonfunctional donor cell to that of a functional recipient cell.
Endospore
The DNA and other essential parts of a bacterium coated with several hard layers.
Strains
Organisms from the same species that have markedly different traits.
Transduction
The process in which infection by a virus results in DNA being transferred from one bacterium to another.
