Microbiology: Fungi, Algae, Protozoa, and Helminths

Flashcards about Fungi, Algae, Protozoa, and Helminths

Mycorrhizae

Symbiotic relationships between fungi and plants that help absorb water and nutrients.

Mycology

The study of fungi.

Chemoheterotrophs

Organisms that decompose organic matter for nutrition; fungi are chemoheterotrophs.

Fungi Cell Walls

Composed of glucans, mannans, and chitin, but lack peptidoglycan.

Yeasts

Nonfilamentous and unicellular fungi.

Dimorphic fungi

Fungi that can exist in both yeast-like and mold-like forms depending on the environment.

Algae

Unicellular or filamentous photoautotrophs that lack roots, stems, and leaves and are mostly aquatic.

Thallus

The body of multicellular algae, consisting of holdfasts, stipes, and blades.

Pneumocyst

Floating, gas-filled bladder that provides buoyancy to algae.

Protozoa

Unicellular eukaryotes that inhabit water and soil; some are normal microbiota in animals, while others cause disease.

Trophozoite

The feeding and growing form of a protozoan.

Cyst (Protozoa)

A protective form some protozoa can produce to survive adverse conditions.

Helminths

Parasitic worms; includes Platyhelminthes (flatworms) and Nematoda (roundworms).

Dioecious

Having separate male and female individuals.

Monoecious (hermaphroditic)

Having both male and female reproductive systems in one animal.

Nematodes

Roundworms; cylindrical worms with a complete digestive system.

Arthropods

Animals with segmented bodies, hard external skeletons, and jointed legs.

Vectors

Arthropods that carry pathogenic microorganisms.

Mechanical Transmission

The arthropod carries the pathogen on its feet or other body parts.

Biological Transmission

The pathogen multiplies within the arthropod vector.

Definitive Host (in vector context)

The organism in which the microbe's sexual reproduction takes place (often the vector).