Chapter 1: Concept questions

What does the field of Microbiology study?

The study of microscopic organism

• such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa

Which groups of microbes are prokaryotes? Which are eukaryotes?

Prokaryotes: Bacteria, Archea

Eukaryotes: Protozoa, Algae, Fungi, Helminths

Explain the importance of observations made by Hooke and van Leeuwenhoek.

Hooke: Made the first compound microscope

• Coined the term cells

Leeuwenhoek: Observed smaller organisms

• Single cell microscope

What is the germ theory of disease? What is the importance of Koch's postulates?

Specific diseases are caused by specific microbes

Koch’s Postulate:

• Single colonies were found and isolated

What lab technique allowed for postulates?

Aseptic technique (Sterilization)

What is the significance of Jenner's discovery?

He deliberately infected patients with cowpox instead of human small pox

• Decreased risk of serious disease- discovered vaccines

What did Pasteur realize is important for successful vaccination?

Exposure to attenuated (weakened or aged) strains the pathogen results to disease protection

• result in disease protection

How are microorganisms named?

Classified according to a shared set of genes and traits

What is binomial nomenclature?

Genus + Species

What are strains?

Genetic variant of a species

What are the three domains of life? Who is responsible for this organization?

1) Bacteria

2) Archaea

3) Eukarya

Carl Woese is responsible

What has the field of microbiology focused on more recently?

1) Metagenomics

2) Viral Vectors

3) CRISPR

Metagenomics

High throughout sequencing of a microbial communities

Why is our Microbiota so important?

• Helps with digestions

• Trains or helps develop our Immune System

• Makes growth factors

• Resistance

Define infectious disease, pathogen, and parasite

Pathogen → causes disease
Parasite → benefits from a host while harming/costing the host
Infectious disease → the illness that results from infection