Assisting in Microbiology and Immunology Flashcards

Vocabulary terms and definitions regarding microbiology, bacterial characteristics, specimen collection, and immunology testing as covered in Assisting in Microbiology and Immunology.

Pathogens

Disease-causing organisms or infectious agents.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)

Infections acquired in a healthcare setting.

Normal flora

Microorganisms that are usually helpful and reside in or on the body's surfaces.

Opportunistic organisms

Organisms that are only problematic when the body's normal flora is weakened.

Immunology

The study of the immune system and how it responds to invasive microorganisms.

Binomial system of nomenclature

The system developed by Carl Linnaeus for naming all living things using two names (Genus and Species).

Genus

The first name in binomial nomenclature, which begins with a capital letter and can be abbreviated to one letter after the first full reference.

Species

The second name in binomial nomenclature, which begins with a lower-case letter.

Binary fission

The asexual reproduction process used by single-celled prokaryote organisms like bacteria.

Peptidoglycan (PG)

A molecule composed of carbohydrate and protein that makes up bacterial cell walls.

Gram-positive cells

Bacteria with a thick layer of peptidoglycan (PG) that appear deep blue/violet with Gram stain.

Gram-negative cells

Bacteria with a thin layer of peptidoglycan (PG) that appear pinkish red with Gram stain.

Acid-fast cells

Bacteria with a thin layer of peptidoglycan (PG) surrounded by a thick layer of wax-like lipids; they stain pink with acid-fast stain.

Cocci

Round-shaped bacteria.

Bacilli

Rod-shaped bacteria.

Spirilla

Spiral-shaped bacteria.

Spirochetes

Tightly coiled spirilla.

Strepto-

A bacterial formation occurring in chains.

Diplo-

A bacterial formation occurring in pairs.

Staphylo-

A bacterial formation occurring in grapelike clusters.

Tetrads

Cocci arranged in packets of $4$.

Sarcinae

Cocci arranged in packets of $8$ or $16$.

Aerobes

Bacteria that require oxygen to survive.

Anaerobes

Bacteria that die in the presence of oxygen.

Facultative anaerobes

Bacteria that prefer to live without oxygen but can survive in its presence.

Flagella

Long, whip-like outgrowths from a cell that help it move.

Capsule

A thick, jelly-like substance surrounding the cell wall that can make bacteria more pathogenic.

Endospore

An intracellular structure that enables bacteria to remain viable even in poor environments.

Chlamydia

Tiny bacteria that require host cells for growth.

Rickettsia

Tiny bacteria that are transmitted by blood-sucking insects.

Mycoplasmas

Unusual bacteria that lack peptidoglycan (PG) in their cell walls.

Mycology

The study of fungi and the diseases they cause.

Eukaryote

An organism (single-celled or multicellular) with genetic material contained in a distinct membrane-bound nucleus and possessing membrane-bound organelles.

Prokaryote

A simple, usually single-celled organism with no nucleus and no membrane-bound organelles, such as bacteria.

Protozoa

Single-celled parasitic organisms that contain a nucleus.

Parasitology

The study of all parasitic organisms that live on or in the human body.

Helminths

Parasitic worms that live on or in a host.

Viruses

Obligate intracellular pathogens that have an absolute need for a host cell to reproduce and metabolize.

Capsid

The protein cover surrounding a virus's genetic core.

Acute stage of infection

The stage where antibody levels start to rise, reaching a fourfold increase over several weeks.

Convalescent stage of infection

The stage where antibody levels start to decline over $3-6$ months.

Direct immunologic tests

Tests that detect the disease-causing antigen or pathogen directly from a specimen.

Indirect immunologic tests

Tests that detect the antibody to the antigen in the patient’s blood or serum.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)

The virus responsible for causing Infectious Mononucleosis.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)

A spiral-shaped bacterium responsible for over $90\%$ of duodenal ulcers and over $80\%$ of stomach ulcers.

Borrelia burgdorferi

The spirochete bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

Gram stain

A staining process that differentiates bacteria into two categories based on the chemical makeup of their cell wall.

Inoculating loop

An instrument used to transfer a calibrated amount of liquid sample to culture media or slides.

Colony

A discrete group of organisms growing on a solid nutrient surface.

Pure culture

A culture created by subculturing suspicious colonies to ensure only one type of organism is present for staining and testing.

Culture and Sensitivity (C&S) Testing

Testing used to grow an organism and determine its susceptibility to specific antibiotics.

Susceptible (S)

A C&S result indicating that an antibiotic is effective against the pathogen.

Resistant (R)

A C&S result indicating that an antibiotic is not effective against the pathogen.

Intermediate (I)

A C&S result indicating that additional testing is required to determine the effective dosage of an antibiotic.

Guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT)

A common screening test that detects the presence of occult blood in stool samples collected over several days.

Fecal immunochemical test (FIT)

A screening test for colon cancer that specifically detects human hemoglobin in samples.