Week 3in Class Assignment Flashcards
What is decontamination?
Decontamination is defined as the reduction or removal of unwanted chemical or biological agents.
What technique combines freezing and drying to preserve microbes?
The technique is called lyophilization.
What is sanitization?
Sanitization is the process of cleaning glassware or tableware.
What is pasteurization?
Pasteurization is the food preparation process in which not all microorganisms are killed, but the number of microbes capable of spoiling the food or causing disease is reduced.
What does autoclaving destroy?
Autoclaving will usually destroy/inactivate all fungi, bacteria, viruses, and most bacterial spores but will not necessarily eliminate prions.
What is disinfection?
Disinfection is the destruction of vegetative organisms by chemical or physical methods.
What are antiseptics?
Antiseptics are antimicrobial agents that are specifically designed to be used on living tissues.
How are agents that kill microbes classified?
Agents that kill microbes are classified as microbicidal.
What disinfectant did Joseph Lister use?
Joseph Lister used carbolic acid or phenol as a disinfectant to denature proteins and disrupt the cell membrane of pathogens.
What has chlorine been used for?
Chlorine has been used for hundreds of years to kill bacteria, endospores, fungi, and mold. It has various industrial and household uses.
What are surfactants?
Surfactants are chemicals, such as soap and detergent, that reduce the surface tension of solvents, making the solvent more effective at dissolving solute molecules.
What is aseptic technique?
A procedure performed under sterile conditions.
Aseptic techniques are crucial in preventing contamination in laboratory and medical settings.
What is a formite?
An inanimate object or substance capable of transporting pathogens from one medium or individual to another.
Examples include doorknobs, utensils, and medical equipment.
What does sterilization refer to?
The destruction of all microorganisms and their endospores.
Sterilization is essential in surgical procedures and laboratory work.
What is degermination?
The process by which the numbers of microbes in a limited area are reduced by scrubbing.
This technique is often used in hand hygiene.
What is inoculation in microbiology?
Introducing a small sample of a microorganism into a growth medium.
The growth that appears is referred to as the culture.
Fill in the blank: _______ vary in nutrient content and consistency and can be classified according to their physical state, chemical composition, and functional type.
[Media]
What do enriched media contain?
Complex organic substances, such as blood or chocolate, to grow specific microorganisms.
Enriched media are used for cultivating fastidious organisms.
What is the most common differential stain in microbiology?
Gram stain.
This staining technique differentiates bacteria based on the composition of their cell walls.
Bacteria that appear red after gram staining are said to be what?
Gram-negative.
Gram-negative bacteria have a thinner peptidoglycan layer.
Bacteria that appear blue after gram staining are said to be Gram-_______?
[positive]
What is the acid-fast stain used for?
For microorganisms like tuberculosis, nocardiosis, and cryptosporidiosis that have mycolic acid in their cell walls that resists Gram stain.
Acid-fast staining is crucial for identifying certain pathogens.
What is the role of the NIH?
It has established four types of biosafety levels for containment of harmful agents.
The NIH sets guidelines to ensure safety in laboratory environments.
What is the purpose of the 15D S form?
It contains data regarding the properties of a particular substance.
This form is used for safety data sheets in handling chemicals.
Who established hand-washing guidelines?
CDC.
The CDC provides crucial guidelines to prevent the spread of infections.
What does PASS stand for when using a fire extinguisher?
Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.
This acronym helps remember the steps for using a fire extinguisher effectively.
What is an autoclave?
A device that uses superheated steam under pressure to sterilize equipment and objects.
Autoclaves are vital for sterilizing surgical instruments.
What is Personal protective equipment (PPE)?
Used to protect the wearer from specific hazards, although it does not eliminate the hazard.
PPE includes gloves, masks, and gowns.
What are blood borne pathogens found in a healthcare setting?
Hepatitis B and C, HIV.
These pathogens pose significant health risks to healthcare workers.
