Unit 1 Vocab Flashcards
microorganism
life forms too small to be seen by the eye
microbial ecology
study of how microbes affect animal, plants, and entire global ecosystems
human microbiome
environment of microbes living naturally inside humans affecting their health
DNA
genetic information
ribosomes
synthesize proteins
cytosol/cytoplasm
aqueous mixture of macromolecules, small organics, ions, and ribosomes inside cells
plasma membrane
selectively permeable layer composed of phospholipids and proteins
prokaryotes
unicellular organisms that loack a distinct nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; characterized by simple structure and genetic information in the cytoplasm
eukaryotes
organisms whose cells have a true nucleus and mombrane-bound organelles; typically have more complex structure
bacteria
single-celled microorganisms that lack distinct nucleus and mombrane-bound organelles; diverse shapes and sizes
peptidoglycan
a structural polymer consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms the rigid cell wall in bacterial cells; provides strength and shape
Gram-negative
bacteria that is resistant to gram-staining method; typically have an outer membrane and less peptidoglycan
Gram-positive
bacteria with a thick layer of peptioglycan, making them subjects of gram-staining method
archaea
group of single-celled microorganisms that, like bacteria, lack a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, but they differ significantly in genetic and biochemical characteristics, often thriving in extreme environments.
eukarya
one of the three domains of life, encompassing organisms with complex, membrane-bound organelles and a true nucleus in their cells, including plants, animals, fungi, and protists.
fungi
can be single or multicellular eukaryotes
chitin and glucan
carbohydrates that make up cell walls of fungi
zoosporic fungi
free living, often motile
yeasts fungi
unicellular; include human microbiota, primary pathogens, and opportunistic pathogens; some reproduce by budding; some reproduce by spore formation
dimorphic fungi
have yeast-like and mold-like forms; include oppotunistic pathogens
mold fungi
multicellular
mushroom fungi
multicellular with macroscopic fruiting bodies
acellular entities
things not composed of cells
viruses
acellular; obligate parasites that only replicate within host cells; include DNA or RNA and a protein coat called a capsid
viroids
acellular; composed of RNA
satellites
acellular; composed of nucleic acid enclosed in a protein shell
prions
acellular; composed of proteins
ribozymes
RNA molecules; most likely probiont molecule
endosymbiosis
interaction between two organsism in which one lives inside of another
phylogeny
relationships among organisms determined by rRNA, genome sequence, cellular characteristics and/or metabolic pathways
taxonomy
the classification system used to group organisms
binomial nomenclature
how microorganism are named; Ex. Genus species
microscopy
the technique and science of using microscopes to observe and study objects
culture
cells grown in/on nutrient media
pure culture
isolated strain
colony
visible, billions of cells, pure culture
medium
liquid/solid mixture containing required nutrients for growth
growth
increase in cell number resulting in cell division
genome sequencing
only about 1% of microbes are culturable so genomes tell us what an unculturable microbe might be capable of (metagenomics)
robert hooke
best known for the first observations of cells; became popular because of beautiful illustrations of fleas and fruiting structures of molds
antoni van leeuwenhoek
first to describe what we now know were bacteria and protists (animalcules)
spontaneous generation
long held theory that microbes can arise spontaneous from nonliving matter
louis pasteur
- develops swan neck flask that allows air within, but traps microbes from air
- demonstrates that microbes from air can cause “contamination” and confirms that heating can remove microbes
Koch’s postulate
- the microorganism must be present in every case of the disease but absent from healthy organisms
- the suspected microorganisms must be isolated and grown in a pure culture
- the same disease must result when the isolated microorganism is inoculated into a healthy host
- the same microorganism must be isolated again from the diseased host
immunity
protection from infection due to previous exposure to a pathogen
jenner’s experiment
discovery of small pox vaccine due to previous exposure to cowpox
microbial diversity
focuses on nonmedical aspects and metabolic processes of microbes in soil and water
magnification
ability to enlarge an image
resolution
the ability to distinguish two adjacent objects as distinct and separate
lenses
create images by bending light
focal point
specifc location where parallel rays of light converge
oil immersion objective
100X objective lens with a vey short working distance
dyes
used to increase contrast
gram staining
differentiates gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria
acid-fast staining
differentiates bacteria that have mycolic acid in their cell wall from those don’t
cell envelope
layers surrounding a cell
bacterial phospholipids
fatty acids are attached to glycerol by ester linkages
archaeal phospholipids
attached to glycerol by ether linkages
uniport
move a specific molecule against the concentration gradient
symport
the molecule and H+ move in the same direction
antiport
the molecule and H+ move in opposite directions
group translocation
modification of a molecule as it passes through the membrane
coccus
spherical
bacillus
rod
spirilla
rigid
spirochete
flexible helical
vibrio
comma
coccobacillus
oval shaped
monomorphic
maintain single shape
pleomorphic
have many shapes
teichoic acids
protect peptidoglycan from lysis, regulate ion movement, vary from one gram-positive to the next
lipoteichoic acids
teichois acids bond to plasma membrane lipids in peptidoglycan, are antigenic
antigenic
elicit an immune response
porins
proteins for transport
periplasm
space between inner and outer membrane
outer membrane
extra permeability barrier, contributes to intrinsic antibiotic resistance
braun lipoprotein
anchors outer membrane to peptidoglycan
lipopolysaccharides (LPS)
contribute to negative surface charge, stabilize outer membrane, protect from immune response, toxic (endotoxin)
lipid A
in the outer membrane; stimulates immune response leading to fever, vomiting, diarrhea, shock
core polysaccharide
10 sugar bound to lipid A
O side chain (O antigen)
extends from cell
lysozyme
a protein produced by the animal innate immune system which cleaves the glycosidic bond between NAM and NAG in peptidoglycan
mycolic acid
a waxy lipid present on acid-fast bacteria that resists staining and makes the bacteria hardy in desiccation, clump together, and difficult to destroy by antibotics, immune response, and disinfectants
S-layer
a protein coat that surrounds most archaea (some bacteria have in addition to peptidoglycan)
pseudomurein
alternating N-acetylglucosamine (also in peptidoglycan) and N-acetyltalosaminuronic acid
glycocalyx
viscous polysaccharide and/or polypeptide secreted outside bacterial cell wall and membrane
capsules
organized, tightly packed glycocalyx
pathogenicity factor
protects bacteria from phagocytosis by certain white blood cells; involved in attachment to host cells/tissues
slime layers
loosely associated bacterial glycocalyx, associated with biofilms and aggregates
fimbraiae and pili
often used interchangeably to refer to short, thin, hairlike protein appendages; involved in cell-to-cell attachment; initiating biofilm development, twitching motility, DNA uptake
sex pili
involved in conjugation (type of horizontal gene transfer that results in exchange of plasmids)
hami
archaeal grappling hooks
twitching
one of the types of surface associated motilities
flagella
threadlike protein, extends out from the membrane and cell wall
archaella
functionally similar to flagella, but smaller; driven by ATP hydrolysis; slower swimming compared to bacteria
atrichous
lacking flagella
peritrichous
flagella all over the cell
polar flagella
flagella at one or both ends
monotrichous
single polar flagella
lophotrichous
multiple flagella at one or both ends
amphitrichous
flagella at each pole
filament
hollow part of flagella that extends from the cell; composed of the protein flagella arranged in a helix
basal body (motor)
part of flagella embedded in the cell envelope, includes rotor and stator, complex multiprotein structure
hook
part of flagella that is short and curved segment; attaches filament to basal body
swimming motility
occurs in aqueos environment
taxis
directed movement to a chemical or physical stimuli
chemotaxis
response to chemical
phototaxis
response to light
chemotaxis assay
capillary tubes containing either attractants, repellents, or water are placed in a culture of bacteria
photoreceptors
proteins that detect light and regulate flagellar rotation proteins
osmotaxis
response to ionic strength
hydrotaxis
movement towards water typically away from salt
aerotaxis
response to oxygen
magnetotaxis
some bacteria have magnetosomes which allow them to align with the earths magnetic field and swim to or away form oxygen
swarming motility
unlike swimming, is often a coordinated group movement and it occurs on a surface
biosurfactants
secreted by many swarmers to reduce friction/lubricate the surface
gliding motility
unlike swimming and swarming; does not require a flagella
FtsZ
forms a ring at midcell to constrict the cytoplasm during cell division
MreB
maintains shape and positions peptidoglycan machinery
CreS
maintains curve shape
nucleoid
no nuclear envelope, but bacterial chromosome is localized
plasmids
extrachromosomal DNA that is small and circular
episomes
can integrate into chromosome via recombination
inclusions
refer to locailzation of material the cell must accumulate
endospores
highly differentiated, dormant cells produced by some gram-positive bacilli
sporulation/sporgenesis
production of spores from vegetative state
germination
return to vegetative state
cytoskeleton
actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments
endocytosis
eukaryotic uptake of materials via vessicles
receptor-mediated endocytosis
ligand-receptor interactions often stimulate endocytosis
pinocytosis
uptake of solutes
phagocytosis
uptake of particles
polyphyletic
18S rRNA classifcation demonastrate protists emerged from more than one ancestor
protozoa
chemoorganic protists; obtain their energy and carbon by ingesting organic material
algae
photoautotrophic protists; obtain their energy from light and their carbon source is CO2
bacteriovorous
type of protozoa that feed on bacteria regulating the concentration of bacteria in ecosystems and microbiomes
eutrophication
result in cyanbacteria/agal blooms due to over enrichment of aquatic ecosystems with nitrogen and phosphorous
plasmonella
protist cell membrane identical to multicellular eukaryotes
protist ectoplasm
gelatinous regions
protist endoplasm
fluid region
protist pellicle
supportive layer with a function similar to a cell wall, but not as rigid
protist contractile vacuoles
continuosly expel water to counteract influx from hypotonic environments
protist phagocytic vacuoles
result from uptake of particles, often for feeding
protist cytosome
cell mouth for specialized phagocytosis
trophozoites
replicating protists
protist cysts
dormant cell that has a cell wall
protist encystment
cyst formation
protist excystment
escape from cyst
fungi
