Microbiology Vocabulary Flashcards

This JSON contains vocabulary flashcards based on the provided lecture notes on Microbiology.

Microbiology

The study of organisms too small to be seen with the human eye.

Ga

Abbreviation for giga annum, or billion years ago, used in geochronology.

Anoxic

Without oxygen.

Prokaryotes

Microbial cells that first appeared between 3.7 and 4.2 billion years ago.

Biosignatures

Geochemical indicators of life.

Chemolithoautotroph

An organism that obtains energy by oxidizing inorganic compounds.

Stromatolites

Oldest known fossils, formed by accumulation of sedimentary layers of cyanobacterial mats.

Oxygenic Photosynthesis

Process: CO2 + H2O (plus sunlight) --> CH2O + O2.

Thermophilic

Heat-loving.

Geomicrobiology

The interdisciplinary study of the interactions of microorganisms and earth materials.

Longitudinal Cohort Study

A research study that follows large groups of people over a long time to compare a particular outcome between groups differing by a certain characteristic.

Nonillion

10^30 (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)

Phylogeny

Shows evolutionary history and relationships among individuals or groups of organisms.

Species

A group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring (traditional definition); a group of closely related isolates or strains (microorganisms).

Strain/Isolate

A subgroup within a species; operational taxonomic unit (OTU).

Serotype

Distinct variations within a species of bacteria based on major surface antigens.

OTU

Operational taxonomic unit; an operational definition used to classify groups of closely related individuals.

Commensal Organisms

Beneficial microbes also termed normal microbiota or normal flora.

Pathogens

Microbes that damage body tissues and cause disease symptoms.

LUCA

Last universal common ancestor of all cells.

LECA

Last eukaryotic common ancestor.

Metagenomic Data

Analysis of whole-community genomic data.

Animalcules

Term used by Anthony van Leeuwenhoek describe microorganisms.

Endospore

A heat-resistant life-form inside of bacteria.

Miasma

Bad air - a widely accepted theory for what causes diseases such as cholera.

Viroids

Consist only of RNA; no protein coat. Obligate intracellular agents that use the machinery and nutrients of host cells to replicate.

Prions

Consist only of protein; no DNA or RNA. Misfolded versions of normal cellular proteins that cause the normal versions to misfold.

Domain Bacteria

Single-celled prokaryotes with peptidoglycan in their cell walls, multiply via binary fission, and many move using flagella.

Domain Archaea

Prokaryotic, similar to bacteria in shape and size, but lack peptidoglycan in cell walls and have different ribosomal RNA sequences; many are extremophiles.

Domain Eukarya

Eukaryotes with membrane-bound nucleus and other organelles; includes fungi, algae, protozoa, and helminths.

Algae

Diverse group of single-celled or multicellular photosynthetic organisms.

Protozoa

Diverse group of single-celled complex eukaryotes.

Helminths

Parasitic multicellular worms.

Phytoplankton

Greek: phytos – plant, planktos – wanderer, drifter; autotroph: uses CO2 as main carbon source.

Fungi

Diverse group of eukaryotes, including unicellular yeasts and multicellular molds.

Mycology

The study of fungi.

Heterotroph

Obtains carbon and energy from organic sources.

Arthropods

Invertebrate animals with segmented bodies, hard exoskeletons, and jointed appendages (e.g., insects, ticks).

Nematodes

Roundworms, a phylum of worms with cylindrical bodies.

Virus

Acellular infectious agent consisting of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat.

Bacteriophage

A virus that infects bacteria; also called a phage.

Obligate Intracellular Parasites

Cannot multiply unless they invade a host cell; viruses are obligate intracellular parasites.

Prion

Infectious protein particle.

Bioremediation

Using microorganisms to degrade or detoxify pollutants.

Infectious Disease

A disease caused by a microbe that can be transmitted from one host to another.

Pathogenicity

The ability of a microorganism to cause disease.

Virulence

The degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism.

Normal Microbiota (Normal Flora)

The population of microorganisms that normally grow on the body surfaces of healthy individuals.

Prevalence

The total number of cases of a disease in a given population at a specific time or period.

Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs)

The emergence of new diseases, increasing in incidence, or showing a potential to increase in the near future.

Septicemia

Disease-causing microorganisms present in the blood.

Localized Infection

An infection confined to a specific area of the body.

Systemic Infection

An infection that has spread throughout the body.

Virulence Factors

Mechanisms (e.g., capsules, enzymes) used by pathogens to cause disease.

Load

The relative number of microorganisms; relates to the amount of contamination.

Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI)

An infection acquired during a stay in a healthcare facility.

Adherence

The ability of a microbe to adhere to host cells or tissues.

Commensalism

A relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.

Mutualism

A relationship in which both organisms benefit.

Parasitism

A relationship in which one organism benefits at the expense of the other.

Infection

The replication of a pathogen in a host.

Disease

An infection that causes signs or symptoms.

Sign

Objective indication of disease that can be measured/observed (e.g., fever, rash).

Symptoms

Subjective indication of disease that is felt by patient (e.g., pain, nausea).

Case Fatality Rate (CFR)

Proportion of deaths among individuals infected with a specific disease.

Incubation Period

Time between infection and the appearance of signs and symptoms.

Latent Infection

Infection in which the infectious agent is present but not active.

Carrier

A person showing no signs or symptoms of a disease but who sheds infectious agents.

Reservoir

Natural habitat of a pathogen.

Zoonosis

A disease primarily found in animals but transmissible to humans.

Vertical Transmission

Transfer of a pathogen from a pregnant woman to the fetus, or from a mother to her infant during childbirth or breastfeeding.

Horizontal Transmission

Transfer of a pathogen from one person to another through contact, ingestion of food or water, or via a living organism (vector).

Fomite

Inanimate object that can transmit infectious agents.

Vector

Living organism that transmits infectious agents.

Biofilms

Structured communities of microorganisms attached to a surface and encased in a self-produced matrix.

Quorum Sensing

Cell-to-cell communication process in bacteria that enables them to coordinate their behavior.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

The ability of microorganisms to withstand the effects of an antimicrobial drug.

Antibiotic

A medicine that inhibits the growth of or destroys bacteria.

Sterilization

The process of making something free from bacteria or other living microorganisms.

Disinfection

The process of cleaning something to destroy harmful microorganisms.

Antiseptic

A substance that prevents the growth of disease-causing microorganisms.

Aseptic Technique

A procedure performed under sterile conditions.

Gram Stain

A staining technique for the preliminary identification of bacteria.

Acid-Fast Stain

A differential stain used to identify acid-fast organisms such as Mycobacterium.

Capsule Stain

A staining method used to visualize the capsules surrounding certain bacteria.

Bioremediation

Using microorganisms to degrade or detoxify pollutants.

Infectious Disease

A disease caused by a microbe that can be transmitted from one host to another.

Pathogenicity

The ability of a microorganism to cause disease.

Virulence

The degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism.

Normal Microbiota (Normal Flora)

The population of microorganisms that normally grow on the body surfaces of healthy individuals.