Intro to Microbiology

What type of cell are protozoa?

Single-celled eukaryotes.

How do protozoa move?

Using pseudopodia, cilia, or flagella.

Where do protozoa mostly live and what can they cause?

Mostly live in water. Some live in animal hosts and cause diseases like malaria and diarrhoea.

How do fungi differ from plants and animals?

Fungi do not use photosynthesis and have a cell wall.

What are the two types of fungi?

Moulds and yeasts.

How do moulds reproduce?

Sexually and asexually by spores.

How do yeasts reproduce?

Asexually by budding.

What type of cells are bacteria?

Prokaryotic single cells.

Do bacteria have nuclei?

No, they do not.

How are bacteria commonly classified?

By shape (cocci or bacilli) and by Gram staining.

What are the main shapes of bacteria?

Cocci (round) and bacilli (rod).

Are viruses cells?

No, viruses are non-cellular.

What structures make up a virus?

Nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) and a protein coat (capsid). Some have lipid envelopes.

How do viruses reproduce?

They can only replicate inside a host cell.

What is a virus that infects bacteria called?

A bacteriophage.

What percentage of microbes are considered harmless?

About 99%.

What are the roles of microorganisms in nature?

Decomposition, nitrogen fixation, and food chain roles.

What is a pathogen?

A microbe that causes disease.

What are opportunistic pathogens?

Microbes that are normally harmless but can cause disease in certain conditions.

What is the classification of microorganisms?

Prokaryotes (Archaea, Bacteria) and Eukaryotes (Fungi, Protozoa, Algae).

Who first described cells?

Robert Hooke (1665).

Who first described bacteria and their shapes?

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (1673).

Who promoted handwashing to prevent disease?

Ignaz Semmelweis (1847).

Who developed pasteurisation?

Louis Pasteur (1861).

Who developed antiseptic surgery methods?

Joseph Lister (1870).

Who studied anthrax and tuberculosis and developed Koch’s postulates?

Robert Koch (1883).

List Koch's postulates

.1. Pathogen must be found in every case of the disease.

2. It must be isolated in pure culture.
3. It must cause disease when introduced to a healthy host.
4. It must be re-isolated from the new host.

What are the three domains of life?

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya.

How do fungi differ from plants?

They lack chlorophyll and do not perform photosynthesis.

What do bacterial cell walls contain?

Polysaccharide and peptidoglycan.

What is the main difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Presence of a nucleus in eukaryotes.

How do you write scientific names correctly?

Genus capitalised and species lowercase, both italicised or underlined