Microbiology Exam 1

the specialized area of biology that deals with organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye

microbiology

what are some organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye

• microorganisms or microbes

• germs, viruses, infectious agents

• “bugs”

Major groups of microorganisms

• bacteria

• archaea

• fungi (yeast & molds)

• protozoa

• viruses

• prions

• helminths

not technically a microorganism because multicellular form is visible to naked eye

helminths

relative size order of microorganisms

1. eukaryote

2. bacterium/archaeon

3. virus

4. prion

about 10x smaller than eukaryotic cells

bacterial and archaeal cells

lack organelle

bacterial and archaeal cells

all are microorganisms

bacterial and archaeal cells

contain organelles

eukaryotic ells

small, double membrane bound structures that perform specific functions

organelles

examples of organelles in eukaryotic cells

• nucleus

• mitochondria

• chloroplasts

some are microorganisms

eukaryotic cells

what eukaryotic cells are microorganisms

• fungi

• protozoa

• helminths

what eukaryotic cells are not microorganisms

• animals

• plants

composed of small amount of hereditary material (DNA and/or RNA) wrapped up in a protein covering that is sometimes enveloped by a protein-containing lipid membrane

viruses

simpler than a cell

viruses

small proteins folded in intricate ways which sometimes behave like microorganisms and are transmitted from one human to another

prions

even simpler than a virus

prions

what are the acellular microorganisms

1. viruses

2. prions

shaped the development of the earths habitat for billions of years

microbes

appeared on this planet about 3.8 billion years ago

single celled organisms

cell types arose from a single (extinct) ____ ?

common ancestor

single celled, no true nucleus

bacteria

single celled, no true nucleus, distinct from bacteria

archaea

“true nucleus”, many are single celled, but some are multicellular

eukaryotes

encompasses bacteria and archaea “pre-nucleus”

prokaryotes

“no nucleus”

akaryotes

alternate term used for prokaryotes

akaryotes “no nucleus”

the accumulation of changes that occur in organisms as they adapt to their environments

theory of evolution

documented everyday in all corners of the planet

theory of evolution (accumulation of changes that occur in organisms as they adapt to their environments)

testable by science

theory of evolution

have undergone years and years of testing and have not been disproved

theories

are not just a random guess

theories

represent well-studied and well-established natural phenomena

theories

how does a scientific theory differ from a scientific fact or scientific law

a scientific theory explains “why” or “how”

a simple basic observation

fact

a statement (often mathematical equation) about a relationship between facts and/or other laws

law

where are microbes found

1. deep in earths crust

2. in polar ice caps and oceans

3. insides bodies of plants and animals

4. earths landscape

essential to life

microbes

highly involved in the flow of energy and food through the earths ecosystem

microbes

produced by photosynthesis

oxygen

70% of our oxygen comes from what?

photosynthetic microorganisms

photosynthetic microorganisms

specific bacteria and algae (protozoa) mostly in the ocean

breakdown of dead matter/waste

decomposition

what is decomposition largely accomplished by

bacteria and fungi

drive structure and content of soil, water, atmosphere

microbes

live in complex, often symbiotic associations with plants and animals

microbes

humans have been using microorganisms for thousands of years to ______

improve life and shape civilizations

what are some things that humans have used microorganisms for?

• production of foods : bread, wine, beer, cheese

• treatment of wounds (topical antibiotic) and infection (ingested antibiotic)

• decontaminating human waste

manipulation of microorganisms to make products in an industrial setting

biotechnology

examples of biotechnology

insulin, vaccines

manipulates the genetics of microbes, plants, and animals to create new products and genetically modified organisms

recombinant DNA technology

examples of recombinant DNA technology

GMO’s

introduction of microbes into the environment to restore stability or to clean up toxic pollutants

bioremediation

the vast majority of microorganisms that associate with humans are _____ or _____

harmless, beneficial

any agent such as a virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or helminth that cause disease

pathogen

nearly how many different microbes can cause disease

2,000

what is a disease caused by a microbe termed as?

infectious disease

certain diseases once considered noninfectious are now found to be caused by what

microbes

what are gastric ulcers caused by

helicobacter pylori

what are some links between certain cancers

• liver cancer → hepatis viruses

• cervical cancer → human papillomaviruses

what has coxsackievirus been associated with

diabetes and schizophrenia

what has been linked to chronic microbial infections

multiple sclerosis, OCD, coronary artery disease, obesity

what has been linked to microbial infection

infertility, pregnancy, and birth complications

credited with the first identifying microorganisms, or “little animals,” using his newly developed microscope

antoine van leeuwenhoek

debunked “spontaneous generation” showed instead that fermentation or contamination was due to the presence of microorganisms.

louis pasteur

essentially proved the germ theory of disease and launched field of modern microbiology

louis pasteur

proposed a set of criteria known as “ Koch’s Postulates” for determining pathogenic cause for a disease

robert koch

invented PCR (polymerase chain reaction) - a way to make lots of identical copies of DNA

kary mullis

it had been previosly thought that DNA’s purpose was to make RNA, that turned into protein, however less than 2% of human DNA codes for small RNA molecules that organize almost everything

the importance of (small) RNA

invented CRISPR technology

jennifer doudna & emmanuelle charpentier

found in bacteria and archaea and the invention is how to use it for gene editing/purposeful mutation

CRISPR

scientific method order

1. formulate a question

2. do background research

3. construct hypothesis

4. test hypothesis experimentally

5. analyze data and reject/accept hypothesis

6. communicate results

a possible explanation to account for what has been observed

hypothesis

must be either supported or discredited by careful observation or experimentation

hypothesis

assembled from smaller molecular subunits or building blocks

macromolecules

often very large compounds

macromolecules

what are the 4 main families of biochemicals

1. carbohydrates

2. lipids

3. proteins

4. nucleic acids

another name for macromolecules

biochemicals

a sugar

saccharide

named with the suffix -ose

monosaccharides and disaccharides

sugar composed of six carbons

hexose

sugar composed of five carbons

pentose

long chains of sugars

polysaccharides

contribute to structural support and protection; serve as nutrient and energy stores

polysaccharides

examples of how polysaccharides serve as nutrient and energy sources

1. cellulose in plants and algae

2. peptidoglycan in bacteria

long or complex hydrocarbon chains that are hydrophobic

lipid

storage lipids (fat/oil)

triglycerides

what are triglycerides composed of

single molecule of glycerol bound to three fatty acids

contain only two fatty acids attached to a glycerol

phospholipid

have a hydrophilic regions and a hydrophobic region

phospholipid

allows the molecule to form bilayers and membranes

phospholipids

ringed compounds commonly found in cell membranes and animal hormones

steroids

examples of steroids

• cholesterol

• ergosterol

long chain alcohol linked to a fatty acid

waxes

soft and pliable when warmed, water resistant and protective

waxes

predominant organic macromolecule in cells

proteins

what do proteins determine

structure, behavior, and unique qualities of organisms

building blocks of proteins

amino acids

exist in 20+ different forms

amino acids