PMI02-2001 Flashcards

1
Q

What is microbiology?

A

Biology of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye

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2
Q

What does TSE stand for?

A

Transmissable Spongiform Encephalopathies

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3
Q

Which microbes are eukaryotic?

A

Fungi

Protozoa

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4
Q

What are TSEs?

A

“Infective” proteins based on the structure of prions but misfolded

Spread their misfolding to form plaques/sponge-like lesions in the brain which are impossible to remove

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5
Q

Where is the genetic information found in bacteria?

A

Circular chromosome, free-floating in cytoplasm

Plasmids

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6
Q

What is special about plasmids?

A

Can be passed between bacterial cells

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7
Q

What kind of ribosomes are found in bacteria?

A

70S

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8
Q

How do bacteria replicate?

A

Binary fission

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9
Q

Do bacteria have a cell wall?

A

Yes

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10
Q

What shape are bacilli? Give an example of a bacillus.

A

Long rods

E. coli

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11
Q

What shape are cocci? Give and example of a coccus.

A

Balls

Streptococcus aureus

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12
Q

What shape are spirochaetes? Give an example of a spirochaete.

A

Spiral

B. burgdorferi –> Lyme’s disease

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13
Q

What does a curved bacterium look like? Give an example of a curved bacterium.

A

Comma

V. cholerae

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14
Q

What shape are streptococci? Give an example of a streptococcus.

A

Chains of balls

S. pyogenes –> tonsilitis

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15
Q

What shape are staphylococci? Give an example of a staphylococcus.

A

Clumps of balls

S. aureus

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16
Q

What does the Gram stain show?

A

Peptidoglycan

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17
Q

What is the difference between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria?

A

Gram-positive = lots of peptidoglycan in cell wall

Gram-negative = less peptidoglycan in cell wall, has an outer membrane to prevent Gram stain from reaching peptidoglycan

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18
Q

What is a periplasmic space?

A

Space between plasma membrane and peptidoglycan cell wall

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19
Q

What anchors the outer membrane to the cell wall in Gram-negative bacteria?

A

Lipoproteins

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20
Q

Is peptidoglycan electron-dense or electron-translucent?

A

Electron-translucent

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21
Q

What is haemolysis?

A

Breakdown of red blood cells

22
Q

What does the α-variant of haemolysis look like?

A

Red blood cell breakdown only locally/adjacent to cells

23
Q

What does the β-variant of haemolysis look like?

A

Larger zone of red blood cell breakdown due to secretion of haemolytic toxins

24
Q

What does the γ-variant of haemolysis look like?

A

Very little red blood cell breakdown affecting only cells invaded by the bacteria

25
Q

How can you classify bacteria? (5)

A

Shape/size/arrangement

Gram-stain diffferentiation

Colony characteristics

Serotyping/antigens

Genetic sequencing

26
Q

What colony characteristics can be used to differentiate between types of bacteria? (6)

A

Morphology and size

Indicator dyes

Surface texture

Nutrients required

Haemolysis

Biochemical tests

27
Q

What is phage typing?

A

Bacteriophages recognise different surface proteins on bacteria

Method of differentiating between bacteria

28
Q

What can be used in genetic typing?

A

DNA sequencing

RFLP

Probes

PCR

29
Q

What are the main differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells?

A

Eukaryotes have membrane bound organelles (inc. mitochondria) and a nucleus/prokaryotes have no internal membranes

Eukaryotes have 80S ribosomes/prokaryotes have 70S ribosomes

Not all eukaryotes have a cell wall/prokaryotes have rigid cell walls

Eukaryotes are larger/prokaryotes are smaller

30
Q

What is the size range of viruses?

A

10-200nm

31
Q

What type of microscope is required to visualise viruses?

A

Electron microscope

32
Q

What is the structure of a virus?

A

Nucleic acid packaged in protein - nucleocapsid

May be naked or enveloped

33
Q

How do viruses replicate?

A
  1. Attach and enter cell (translocation, endocytosis, fusion)
  2. Uncoats itself within host and exposes genome
  3. Uses host’s machinery to create more viral components and assembled
  4. Virus population increases until cell breaks or enveloped viruses can bud off cell
34
Q

Give an example of an enveloped virus.

A

HIV

Influenza

35
Q

Give an example of a naked virus.

A

Adenovirus

Poliovirus

Bacteriophages

36
Q

What are the two classes of fungi?

A

Yeasts

Moulds

37
Q

How do fungi get their nutrients?

A

Digestion by extracellular enzymes

38
Q

In what form do yeasts grow? Give an example of a yeast.

A

Grow as single cells but can be dimorphic

Candida spp

Cryptococcus spp

39
Q

In what form do moulds grow? Give an example of a mould.

A

Grow as hyphae only and produce fruiting bodies with spores

Aspergillus spp

Penicillin spp

Fusarium spp

40
Q

What is a mycelial network/mycelium?

A

Mass of hyphae

41
Q

Describe a fungal cell wall.

A

Lower layer of chitin sitting on top of the cell membrane

Upper, thicker layer of glucan (β1,3 and β1,6)

Mannoproteins on top

42
Q

What are hyphae?

A

Long filaments

43
Q

What are Koch’s Postulates?

A

Micro-organism must be present in every case of the disease

Micro-organism must be able to be isolated from the host with the disease and grown in pure culture

Specified disease must be reproduced when the micro-organism is introduced into a healthy, susceptible host

44
Q

What are commensals?

A

Harmless, “good” bacteria

Synthesise useful nutrients

45
Q

How do commensals protect us from pathogens?

A

Competitive exclusion = pathogens cannot adhere or occupy that niche

46
Q

What are pathobionts?

A

Opportunistic microbes existing in normal microbial communities

Under certain environmental conditions become pathogenic

47
Q

Give an example of a pathobiont.

A

Candida albicans

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Salmonella typhimurium

C. difficile

S. aureus

Escherichia coli (hamburger disease)

48
Q

How can use of antibiotics be bad for our microbiome?

A

Alters balance of microbe composition and allow growth of pathobionts

49
Q

What decides the pathogenicity of a microbe?

A

Virulence genes of microbe

Host factors

50
Q

What host factors can increase susceptibility to a infectious disease?

A

Impaired immune system

Hormonal changes