Micro: Exam I Prep

Microbes

Organisms used in food production, antibiotics, decomposition, and biotechnology.

Pathogen

A microorganism that causes disease.

Virulence

The strength or harmfulness of a pathogen.

Sign vs Symptom

Sign: objective indication of disease (e.g., fever); Symptom: subjective experience (e.g., pain).

Spontaneous Generation

The discredited theory that life arises from non-living matter.

Biogenesis

The correct theory that life comes from pre-existing life.

Francesco Redi

Demonstrated that maggots come from flies, disproving spontaneous generation.

Louis Pasteur

Showed that microbes come from air contamination, not spontaneous formation.

Taxonomy

The science of classifying organisms.

Three Domains of Life

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya.

Koch’s Postulates

A series of criteria for linking specific microbes to diseases.

Transient microbiota

Temporary microbes that come and go.

Resident microbiota

Permanent normal flora in the body.

pH importance

Controls enzyme activity and microbial growth; extreme pH can kill microbes.

Polar Molecules

Charged molecules that are water-soluble.

Non-polar Molecules

Molecules with no charge, lipid-soluble.

Monosaccharides

Simple sugars like glucose and fructose that provide quick energy.

Disaccharides

Carbohydrates made of two monosaccharides, such as those in peptidoglycan.

Polysaccharides

Carbohydrates with many sugar units, such as glycogen and cellulose.

Penicillin

An antibiotic that targets the bacterial peptidoglycan cell wall, blocking its synthesis.

Lipids

Molecules used for energy storage and forming membranes.

Mycolic Acid

A component found in the cell walls of acid-fast bacteria.

LPS (lipopolysaccharide)

A molecule found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria that elicits strong immune responses.

Microbe morphology

The study of microbial shapes and arrangements.

Gram Stain

A differential staining technique that classifies bacteria as Gram-positive or Gram-negative.

Acid-fast bacteria

Bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis that resist staining due to a waxy layer.

Mycoplasma

Bacteria that lack a cell wall and can cause pneumonia-like infections.

Endospores

Dormant and resistant forms of bacteria, found in genera like Bacillus and Clostridium.

Pathogens

Microorganisms that can cause disease; include opportunistic and true pathogens.

Eukaryotes

Cells that contain a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Endosymbiosis theory

The theory that eukaryotic cells evolved from symbiotic relationships between prokaryotic cells.

Vector

An organism that transmits disease, such as mosquitoes and ticks.

Arthropods

Invertebrate animals such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas.

Tapeworms

Flat, intestinal parasites.

Flukes

Flatworms that are blood/liver parasites.

Roundworms

Nematodes that cause intestinal infections.