Microbiology Lecture: Antibiotics, Leprosy, and Microbiota

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering antibiotics history, leprosy biology, microbiota concepts, and related microbiology terms.

Antibiotic

A chemical produced by a microorganism that inhibits growth or kills other microorganisms; true antibiotics arise from natural production by fungi or bacteria (derivatives can be lab-made).

Salvarsan

An early arsenic-based antimicrobial drug used to treat syphilis, one of the first antimicrobial agents (discovered around 1910).

Paul Berling

Person mentioned in the notes as discovering Salvarsan in 1910 and testing various compounds for syphilis treatment.

Penicillin

The first true antibiotic, discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928; produced by the mold Penicillium and effective against many bacteria.

Penicillium

Genus of mold that produces penicillin.

Alexander Fleming

Scientist who discovered penicillin, launching the antibiotic era; noted mold inhibited Staphylococcus aureus on a contaminated plate.

Antibiotic resistance

The ability of bacteria to survive antibiotic exposure; emerged soon after penicillin’s introduction and remains a major healthcare challenge.

Mycobacterium

Genus of acid-fast, usually slow-growing bacteria that includes M. leprae and M. tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium leprae

Bacterium that causes leprosy (Hansen’s disease); acid-fast, extremely slow-growing, and difficult to culture.

Lepromatosis

Severe form of leprosy with widespread lesions, nerve damage, and characteristic facial changes.

Tuberculoid leprosy

Milder form of leprosy with few skin lesions and relatively less nerve involvement.

Armadillo

Natural reservoir for Mycobacterium leprae; used in lab culture of leprosy bacteria.

Nude mouse

Immunodeficient mouse used to culture Mycobacterium leprae for study.

Acid-fast

Staining property of Mycobacteria due to mycolic acids in the cell wall; used to identify acid-fast bacteria.

Multidrug therapy (MDT)

Combination antibiotic treatment for leprosy, typically using three or more drugs to prevent resistance.

Rifampicin

Antibiotic commonly used as part of MDT for leprosy.

Minocycline

Antibiotic commonly used as part of MDT for leprosy.

Transmission of leprosy

Typically requires long-term contact or exposure to droplets; can involve animal reservoirs like armadillos; incubation about 9–20 months.

Incubation period

Time between infection and onset of symptoms; for leprosy, estimated between 9 and 20 months.

Normal microbiota

Microorganisms that normally reside in/on the body and provide beneficial functions (e.g., gut bacteria producing vitamin K).

Transient microbiota

Bacteria that are present only temporarily and can cause disease if in the wrong place or overgrow.

Competitive exclusion

Idea that resident microbiota protect against pathogens by occupying niches and occupying nutrients, limiting pathogen growth.

Clostridium difficile (C. diff)

Gut bacterium that can overgrow and cause disease after antibiotic use due to disruption of normal microbiota.

Vitamin K production by gut bacteria

Normal gut microbiota synthesize vitamin K, contributing to blood clotting processes.

Recombinant DNA technology

Technique that inserts human genes into bacteria (e.g., insulin production in E. coli) to leverage rapid bacterial growth for mass production.

Relevance to microbiology fields: mycology, parasitology, immunology, virology

Mycology: study of fungi; Parasitology: study of parasites; Immunology: study of the immune system; Virology: study of viruses; all are branches related to microbiology.