Chapter 1: An Invisible World

acellular

microbes or pathogens that are “without cells”; like viruses

algae

mostly made up of protists that can be either unicellular or multicellular and vary widely in size, appearance, and habitat; photosynthetic organisms; agar, biofuels, lipstick

archaea

unicellular prokaryotic organisms; no peptidoglycan; found in extreme habitats; no known pathogens

bacteria

found in nearly every habitat; can be harmless/helpful but some are pathogens; prokaryotic and unicellular organisms; described in terms of their general shape; has metabolic diversity; can be photosynthetic

bacteriology

the study of bacteria

binomial nomenclature

a system for naming microbes with two names

eukaryotes

organisms that have membrane-bound nuclei in their cells

fungi

eukaryotic organisms; not photosynthetic, unicellular or multicellular, and their cell walls are usually made out of chitin rather than cellulose; yeast and molds; antibiotic production, food formation, and decomposition of dead things; helpful/harmful

helminths

multicellular parasitic worms; eukaryotic; diverse group; taenia saginata and dracunculus medinesis (guinea worm); helpful/harmful

immunology

the study of the immune system

media

nutrients used to grow microbes in the lab

microbiology

the study of microbes/microorganisms

microorganisms

ubiquitous organisms (can be found everywhere); small organisms that cannot be seen from the naked eye; most are hamless, and many are helpful; fundamental roles in ecosystems everywhere on earth, forming the backbone of many food webs; used for biofuels, medicines, and even foods

microscopes

an instrument with a lens strong enough to view microbes; developed by Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek

molds

a type of fungi; multicellular organisms made up of long filaments that form visible colonies; play a critical role in the decomposition of dead plants and animals; has been been used to make pharmaceuticals, including penicillin; found from soil to rotting food to dank bathroom corners

mycology

the study of fungi

parasitology

the study of helminths

pathogens

microbes that can cause disease

prokaryotes

organisms without membrane-bound nuclei in their cells

protists

an informal grouping of eukaryotes that are not plants, animals, or fungi; all protozoa and some algae; unicellular and eukaryotic; can be helpful/harmful

protozoa

the study of protozoa

protozoology

the study of protozoa

stains

the use of dyes to view microbes

virology

the study of viruses

viruses

acellular microorganisms,; not composed of cells, protein and genetic material, can infect any living thing; DNA or RNA; parasitic; COVID-19 and Ebola