S2 Microbes Flashcards
W+
What are the 3 types of microbe?
Viruses, fungi, and bacteria.
What do we call microbes that can cause disease?
Pathogens
What are some diseases which are caused by viruses?
Cold
Flu
Chickenpox
Coronavirus
Coldsores
Describe the structure of a virus.
Viruses have no nucleus, but they do have free-floating DNA.
How do viruses reproduce?
Viruses take over the host cell and use it to make copies of themself (to then infect other cells).
How do yeast reproduce?
Budding
State two common fungi.
Yeast and mould.
How do moulds reproduce?
Spores
What are some diseases caused by fungi?
Athlete’s foot, thrush, ring worm.
What conditions do fungi thrive in?
Cold and wet conditions.
What useful products can we make from yeast?
Bread, wine, beer
What useful product can we make from mould?
Anti-biotics
What are two products made during the fermentation of yeast?
Alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Describe the structure of bacteria.
Bacteria have no nucleus but have free floating DNA and DNA rings called Plasmids.
How do bacteria reproduce?
Cell division.
What are some diseases caused by bacteria?
Gangrene, rotting teeth, tonsilitis, whooping cough.
What are two useful products made using bacteria?
Cheese and yoghurt
What is the name of the large container used to grow microbes on an industrial scale?
Fermenter
What are some conditions that the fermentor makes sure are optimal for microbe growth?
Temperature
Moisture level
pH level
Oxygen concentration
Food/nutrient levels
What are precautions we must take when working with microbes?
Wash hands
Disinfect surfaces
Use sterile equipment
Wear a lab coat
How can we stop microbes from growing?
Use hand sanitiser
Store food in fridge
Vacuum pack food
Use pesticides
What does a catalyst do to a chemical reaction?
It speeds it up.
What do we call biological catalysts?
Enzymes.
Where are enzymes found inside of cells?
Cytoplasm.
What do enzymes do?
They help break down substances into smaller molecules.
What is the name of the part of the enzyme molecule that fits with the substrate?
Active site.
What is a substrate?
The particular substance on which a particular enzyme works.
What are some features of enzymes?
They are specific to one substrate.
They have active sites.
They break substrates down into products.
What is the purpose of the immune system?
It defends our bodies against infection.
Which type of cell produces anti-bodies?
White blood cells.
What happens when your body comes into contact with a new microbe?
- Your body doesn’t know how to fight it, so you get sicker as the microbe reproduces.
- Eventually your white blood cells make the right type of anti-body to kill the microbe.
- These anti-bodies then kill off the microbe.
What happens when your body comes into contact with a microbe for the second time?
Your body already knows how to fight it - it stored memory of the correct anti-bodies.
So your body quickly kills off the microbe.
Describe how vaccines work in 3 bullet points.
1 - You’re injected with small/altered form of the virus.
2- White blood cells produce antibodies for this virus.
3 - MEMORY of these are stored in the body.
What type of treatment would you use for bacteria?
Anti-biotics.
What type of treatment would you use for a virus?
Anti-virals
What type of treatment would you use for a fungus?
Anti-fungals.
What is anti-biotic resistance?
It is when germs develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them.
How can we prevent anti-biotic resistance?
- not using antibiotics unnecessarily
- ensuring that we finish a course of prescribed antibiotics
