Microbiology Exam 1 Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the Microbiology Exam 1 Study Guide covering key figures, microscopy, staining, cell structures, taxonomy, and specific microbial pathogens.

Joseph Lister

Historical scientist who was key in the development of the germ theory of disease.

Rickettsia

A group of Alphaproteobacterial obligate intracellular parasites that can cause diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Typhus.

TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope)

The type of microscope that is best for viewing the inside of cells at extremely high magnifications.

Gram Positive Bacteria

The group of bacteria that utilize teichoic acids to stabilize their extra thick cell wall structures.

Giardia lamblia

A eukaryotic pathogen in the supergroup Excavata known for its propensity to cause intestinal parasite infections contracted from improperly treated well water even in developed nations.

Deeply Branching Bacteria

The oldest known existing taxonomic lineage of bacteria.

Algae

A major taxonomic group of eukaryotic parasites/organisms that are generally photosynthetic as a group.

Mycolic Acids

A common modification added to the cell walls of certain gram positive bacteria.

Gram Staining

Identified as the most useful group of stains in microbiology.

Spontaneous Generation

A now-defunct theory regarding the origin of living cells and organisms.

Types of Symbiosis

Categories of symbiotic relationships including Parasitism, Amensalism, Mutualism, and Commensalism.

M. tuberculosis and Plasmodium sp.

Organisms with major impacts on global human health that are emphasized as high-priority exam topics.

Basic Principles of Light

Properties including refraction, reflection, and absorption that allow microscopes to function properly.

Peptidoglycan

A key structural component of prokaryotic cell walls that differs in arrangement between gram negative and gram positive organisms.

$100\times$ Objective

The high-power objective lens on standard compound brightfield microscopes whose utilization and total magnification calculation are key review concepts.