Week 5: Basic Taxonomy, Structure, and Characteristics of Pathogens

Question 1

Capsule:

Answer 1

Found in some bacterial cells, this additional outer covering protects the cell when it is engulfed by other organisms, assists in retaining moisture, and helps the cell adhere to surfaces and nutrients.

Question 2

Cell Wall

Answer 2

The cell wall is an outer covering that protects the bacterial cell and gives it shape. It acts as another layer of protection from the outside environment and controls permeability and prevents dehydration. Provides platform surface platform for appendages such as flagella and pili

Question 3

Plasma Membrane

Answer 3

: Thin wall that separates the cell wall from the cytoplasm. Acts as a semipermeable membrane: control the inflow and outflow of metabolites

Question 4

Cytoplasm

Answer 4

Cytoplasm is a gel-like substance composed mainly of water that also contains enzymes, salts, cell components, and various organic molecules.
It also contains the nucleoid, and ribosomes

Question 5

Ribosomes

Answer 5

Ribosomes are cell structures responsible for protein production.

Question 6

Plasmids

Answer 6

Plasmids are gene-carrying, circular DNA structures that are not involved in reproduction.

Question 7

Nucleoid Region

Answer 7

Area of the cytoplasm that contains the single bacterial DNA molecule.

Question 8

Pili (Pilus singular):

Answer 8

Hair-like structures on the surface of the cell that attach to other bacterial cells. Shorter pili called fimbriae help bacteria attach to surfaces.

Question 9

Flagella

Answer 9

Flagella are long, whip-like protrusions that aid in cellular locomotion.
We talked about these two things in our first week, when we discussed virulence factors

Question 10

Bacterial Morphology

Answer 10

Bacteria are autonomously replicating unicellular organisms known as prokaryotes because the lack an organized nucleus
They contain both DNA and RNA

Question 11

Bacterial Morphology: Coccus

Answer 11

The cocci are spherical or oval bacteria having one of several distinct arrangements

diplococcus: cocci arranged in pairs

streptococcus: cocci arranged in chains

tetrad: cocci arranged in squares of 4

sarcina: cocci in arranged cubes of 8

staphylococcus: cocci arranged in irregular, often grape-like clusters

Question 12

Bacterial Morphology: Bacilli

Answer 12

Bacilli are rod-shaped bacteria.

bacillus: single bacilli

streptobacillus: bacilli arranged in chains

coccobacillus: oval and similar to a coccus

Question 13

Bacterial Morphology: Spiral

Answer 13

Spirals come in one of threeforms

vibrio: a curved or comma-shaped rod

spirillum: a thick, rigid spiral

spirochete: a thin, flexible spiral

Question 14

Binary Fission