Microbiology Review Flashcards

Flashcards based on lecture notes for exam preparation.

What is Microbiology?

The study of organisms too small to be seen without a microscope.

Name the major groups of microorganisms.

Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi, Protozoa, Algae, Viruses

What are the characteristics of Bacteria?

Prokaryotic, unicellular, peptidoglycan in cell walls, reproduce asexually

What are the characteristics of Archaea?

Prokaryotic, no peptidoglycan, live in extreme environments

What are the characteristics of Fungi?

Eukaryotic; yeasts are unicellular, molds are multicellular

What are the characteristics of Protozoa?

Eukaryotic, animal-like, motile (cilia, flagella, pseudopodia)

What are the characteristics of Algae?

Eukaryotic, photosynthetic, basis of aquatic food chain

What is Spontaneous Generation?

Life arises from non-living matter.

List the steps of the scientific method.

Observation, hypothesis, experiment, results, conclusion/new hypothesis

What were Louis Pasteur's major contributions?

Disproved spontaneous generation, developed pasteurization, linked microbes to fermentation, created rabies vaccine.

What are Koch's postulates?

Microbe must be found in diseased organism, must be isolated and grown in pure culture, must cause disease when introduced to healthy host, must be re-isolated from the inoculated host.

List the basic chemistry terms related to microbiology.

Atoms, elements, isotopes, chemical bonds.

Name the types of chemical bonds

Covalent bonds (share electrons), Ionic bonds (transfer electrons), Hydrogen bonds (weak)

List the four major organic macromolecules.

Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids.

What are the two important factors in microscopy?

Resolution and Contrast.

Name the major types of microscopes.

Brightfield, Darkfield, Phase Contrast, Florescence, Electron (TEM, SEM)

Name the differential staining techniques.

Gram stain, Acid-fast stain, Endospore stain, Capsule stain

What color are Gram-positive bacteria after Gram staining?

Purple (thick peptidoglycan)

What color are Gram-negative bacteria after Gram staining?

Pink (thin outer membrane)

What are the external structures found in Prokaryotic cells?

Glycocalyx, flagella, fimbriae, pili, cell wall

Name the two types of Glycocalyx

Capsule (tight) and Slime layer (loose)

What are the internal structures found in Eukaryotic cells?

Nucleus, cytoplasm, ER, Golgi, ribosomes, mitochondria, chloroplasts, lysosomes

Name the two types of Metabolism.

Catabolism (breaks down molecules, releases energy) and Anabolism (builds molecules, requires energy)

What are the steps of Aerobic Cellular Respiration?

Glycolysis, Krebs Cycle, Electron Transport Chain

What are the macronutrients for microbial growth?

Carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen

Name the temperature categories

Psychrophiles (cold-loving), Mesophiles (moderate), Thermophiles (heat-loving), Hyperthermophiles (extreme heat)

Name the oxygen requirements for growth

Obligate aerobes (require O2), Facultative anaerobes (prefer O2 but don't need it), Aerotolerant anaerobes (don't use O2 but can tolerate it), Microaerophiles (need low O2 levels)

Name the two types of Media for culturing microorganisms.

Defined media (exact chemical composition known) and Complex media (unknown ingredients)

What are the phases of the growth curve?

Lag phase, log phase, stationary phase, death phase

Name the methods for measuring microbial growth.

Direct (microscopic count, serial dilution/plate count) and Indirect (turbidity, metabolic activity)

Describe the genome structure in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Prokaryotes: one circular chromosome + plasmids; Eukaryotes: linear chromosomes, nucleus

What enzymes are involved in DNA replication?

Helicase and DNA polymerase

What are the steps of protein synthesis?

Transcription (DNA to RNA) and Translation (RNA to protein)

What are the mechanisms of genetic recombination in bacteria?

Transformation, Transduction, Conjugation

What are the tools of genetic engineering?

Restriction enzymes, Vectors, PCR

What are the terms for controlling microbial growth?

Sterilization, Disinfection, Antisepsis, Sanitization, Degerming

What are the physical methods of microbial control?

Heat, Filtration, Radiation

What are the chemical methods of microbial control?

Phenolics, Alcohols, Halogens, Oxidizing Agents, Surfactants, Heavy Metals, Aldehydes, Gaseous Agents, Enzymes

What are the mechanisms of antimicrobial action?

Inhibit cell wall synthesis, disrupt membranes, inhibit protein synthesis, inhibit nucleic acid synthesis, inhibit metabolic pathways, inhibit viral replication

What are the mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobials?

Enzymatic destruction, altered target, efflux pumps

What are the prokaryotic reproduction methods?

Binary fission (most common), budding, snapping division

List the common prokaryotic shapes

Coccus (round), bacillus (rod), spirillum/spirochete (spiral), vibrio (curved rod)

What are the methods of prokaryotic classification?

Old methods (phenotypic) and modern methods (genetic)

What are the three domains of life?

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya

What are the characteristics of Archaea?

Cell walls lack peptidoglycan, membrane lipids have ether linkages, RNA polymerase/ribosomes are similar to eukaryotes, extremophiles.

Name the types of Archaea.

Thermophiles (thrive in 45C+), hyperthermophiles (80C+), halophiles (salt-lovers), methanogens (produce methane)

What do bacterial cell walls contain?

Peptidoglycan

What disease does Giardia lamblia cause?

Giardiasis

What disease does Plasmodium cause?

Malaria

What disease does Toxoplasma gondii cause?

Toxoplasmosis

What disease does Trypanosoma brucei cause?

African sleeping sickness

What disease does Leishmania cause?

Leishmaniasis

Name the major groups of eukaryotic microorganisms.

Fungi, Protozoa, Algae, Helminths

What are the characteristics of Fungi?

No photosynthesis, chemoheterotrophs, absorb nutrients from the environment

What are the characteristics of Protozoa?

Unicellular, eukaryotic, no cell wall, motile by cilia, flagella, pseudopodia, chemoheterotrophic

What are the two forms of protozoan life cycle?

Trophozoite (active feeding form) and cyst (dormant, resistant form)

Name the major groups of Protozoa.

Ciliates, Apicomplexans, Dinoflagellates

What are the characteristics of Algae?

Photoautotrophic eukaryotes, cell wall made of cellulose, live in water, reproduce sexually and asexually

Name the types of fungal diseases (mycoses).

Systemic, subcutaneous, cutaneous, superficial, opportunistic

What are the characteristics of Helminths (parasitic worms)?

Multicellular, eukaryotic, reduced digestive/nervous systems, complex reproductive systems

Name the major groups of Helminths.

Platyhelminthes (flatworms) and Nematodes (roundworms)

What are the characteristics of viruses?

Acellular, obligate intracellular parasites

What are the steps of the lytic cycle of virus replication?

Attachment, entry, synthesis, assembly, release

What are viroids?

Small, circular RNA without a protein coat that infects plants

What are prions?

Infectious misfolded proteins that cause degenerative brain diseases

Direct contact

Touch, sex, placenta

Indirect contact

Fomites

Droplet

Mucus droplets <1 meter

Airborne

Aerosols >1 meter

Waterborne

Contaminated water

Foodborne

Contaminated food

Biological Vector

Inside insect body

Mechanical Vector

On surface of insect

What are the symbiotic relationships?

Mutualism, commensalism, parasitism

What are the roles of the human microbiome?

Protect against pathogens, stimulate immune system, produce vitamins

Name the reservoirs of infectious diseases.

Animal reservoirs, human carriers, nonliving reservoirs

What are the portals of entry for pathogens?

Skin, mucous membranes, placenta, parenteral route

What are the virulence factors of pathogens?

Adhesion factors, extracellular enzymes, toxins, antiphagocytic factors

What are the stages of infectious disease?

Incubation, prodromal, illness, decline, convalescence

What are the most common healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)?

UTIs, surgical site infections, bloodstream infections

What are the components of the first line of defense (innate immunity)?

Physical barriers, chemical barriers, microbiota

What are the types of leukocytes (white blood cells)?

Neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, lymphocytes

What are the two main processes carried out by the second line of defense?

Phagocytosis and non-phagocytic killing

What are the signs of inflammation?

Redness, heat, swelling, pain

What is the role of the complement system?

Punch holes in pathogens (MACs - Membrane attack complex), promote inflammation, and attract phagocytes

What is the specificity and memory of innate immunity?

Non-specific and no memory

What is the specificity and memory of adaptive immunity?

Specific and has memory

What are the components of adaptive immunity?

B cells, T cells, antibodies

What are the two types of lymphocytes involved in adaptive immunity?

B-cells (humoral immunity) and T-cells (cell-mediated immunity)

What are the primary lymphoid organs?

Bone marrow and thymus

What are the secondary lymphoid organs?

Lymph nodes, spleen, Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT)

What are antigens?

Substances recognized as foreign, triggering immune response

What are the two classes of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules?

MHC class I and MHC class II

List the professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs).

Dendritic cells, macrophages, B cells

What are the classes of antibodies?

IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, IgD

What are the Serological tests?

Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Western blot, Agglutination tests, Neutralization tests

Name the types of Hypersensitivities.

Type I (immediate), Type II (cytotoxic), Type III (immune complex mediated), Type IV (delayed/cell-mediated)

What are autoimmune diseases?

Immune system attacks the body's own tissue

Final electron acceptor Aerobic Respiration

oxygen

Final Electron Acceptor Anaerobic

nitrogen, sulfate, carbonate