Week 2 Vocabulary Flashcards
Fouling
Accumulation of unwanted material on solid or liquid surfaces
Spontaneous Generation
The incorrect hypothesis that living matter can develop from non-living matter
Correlation
Describes the strength of an association between two or more variables
Causation
The action of causing something
Germ Theory
A theory that certain diseases are caused by the invasion of the body by microorganisms
Koch’s Postulates
A set of criteria that a given microorganism causes a disease
Taxonomy
The scientific study of naming, defining and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics
Phylogeny
A part of systematics that addresses the inference of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups of organisms
Phylogenetic Tree
A diagram that depicts the lines of evolutionary descent of different species
16S Ribosomal RNA
A type of RNA found in the ribosome and conserved across all bacterial species
Ocular Lens
The eyepiece of the microscope
Magnifies 10x
Stage
Holds the specimen in place
Condenser
Gathers wavelengths from the light source and concentrate them into a cone of light
Objective Lens
Magnifies an object
Magnification
Enlarging the apparent size of something
Resolution
The ability to distinguish two objects as distinct and separate when viewed under a microscope
Contrast
The ability to resolve a cell or structure from its surroundings
Gram stain
A differential staining process based on the thickness of the cell wall
Bright Field Microscopy
The simplest of all microscopy illumination techniques
Sample contrast comes from the attenuation of light in the sample
Phase Contrast Microscopy
Sample contrast comes from the interference of different path lengths of light through the sample
Fluorescence Microscopy
Uses fluorescence to study objects
Electron Microscopy
Uses electrons instead of light
Shorter wavelength than photons
Larger than protons
Nucleoid Body
Genome + proteins
Plasmids
Small, circular DNA
One origin of replication
Can have multiple copies per cell
Ribosomes
Protein synthesis
Cytoskeleton
Cell structure
Inclusion
Intracellular bodies containing granules of organic or inorganic materials
Contain enzymes
Involved in the storage of nutrients
Microcompartment
Cytoplasmic structure consisting of a protein coat and a hollow center which can hold molecules like proteins and dissolved gases
Endospores
Produced when conditions are stressful
Dormant
Non-reproductive
Very stable
FtsZ
Tubulin homolog responsible for cell division
Found in most bacteria and acrhaea
TubZ
Tubulin homolog responsible for plasmid segregation and is found in the Bacillus sp.
MamK
Actin homolog that is responsible for positioning magnetosomes
Found in magnetotactic bacteria
MreB
Actin homolog responsible for cell shape
Found in most rod-shaped bacteria
CreS (crescentin)
Intermediate filament homolog responsible for making rods curved
Found in Caulobacter crescentus
MinD
Is unique to bacteria and prevents FtsZ from polymerizing at the poles
Found in most species
Poly Beta-Hydroxybutyrate
A bacterial compartment that stores carbon (energy)
Carboxysome
Bacterial compartment
Sequesters carbon-fixing enzymes carbonic anhydrase and RuBisCo
Glycogen
Glucose storage polymer
Gas Vesicle
Microcompartment
Long, narrow gas-filled structures
Buoyancy of aquatic organisms
Magnetosome
Magnetic iron oxides
Allows bacteria to move along Earth’s magnetic field lines
Membrane-enclosed
Exosporium
The outer surface layer of mature spores
Vegetative cell
Bacterial cell that is actively growing instead of making spores
