Classification of Microorganisms

This set of flashcards covers key concepts from the lecture on the classification of microorganisms, including terminology, historical classification systems, and various characteristics of microorganisms.

What does the science of classifying organisms provide?

Universal names for organisms, a reference for identifying organisms, and explains evolutionary relatedness.

What is a taxon?

A biological classification grouping of any rank such as species, family, class, etc.

What term describes the evolutionary history of a particular group of organisms?

Phylogeny.

During which years was the All Species Inventory conducted?

2001-2025.

Who proposed the Kingdom Protista?

It was proposed in 1866.

What classification concept was introduced in 1937?

Prokaryote, for cells 'without a nucleus'.

What classification system was established by Whittaker in 1969?

The Five Kingdom system.

What is the basis for the Three Domain system established in 1978?

It categorizes life into Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

What distinguishes Eukarya from Bacteria and Archaea?

Eukarya includes kingdoms Fungi, Plantae, Animalia, and protists, while Bacteria and Archaea are prokaryotes.

What is one characteristic that varies between Archaea and Bacteria?

Cell wall composition.

What is the significance of the Endosymbiotic Theory?

It proposes that primitive eukaryotic cells evolved from bacteria living symbiotically.

Define a eukaryotic species.

A group of closely related organisms that breed among themselves.

What are the key components of Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology?

Identification schemes for identifying bacteria and archaea based on morphology, staining, and biochemical tests.

What term is used for a population of cells with similar characteristics?

Prokaryotic species.

What is the purpose of the API multi test system?

Rapid identification of medically important bacteria.

What is the role of DNA fingerprinting in microbiology?

To compare banding patterns for identification and outbreaks tracking.

What does a dichotomous key help with in classification?

It aids in identification based on successive questions.

How does cladistics classify organisms?

By grouping them based on common ancestry.

What are clades in the context of cladistics?

A group consisting of an ancestral species and all its evolutionary descendants.

What does a cladogram represent?

A branched map based on rRNA sequences that reveals evolutionary relatedness.

What is the significance of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene in bacteria?

It is conserved and indicates evolutionary relationships.

In classification, what does GC content indicate?

Closely related organisms typically have similar guanine + cytosine percentages.

What is the first amino acid in protein synthesis for Bacteria and Eukarya?

Methionine.

What method uses selective media for bacterial identification?

Biochemical tests.

What is a strain in microbiology?

Genetically different cells within a clone, forming a subgroup.

When was the classification using the Three Domain System established?

In 1978.

What is the unique characteristic of the Domain Archaea?

They often live in extreme environments and possess unique cell wall and membrane lipid structures.