Microbiology Exam 1 Review (Chapters 1, 3, and 18)

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the exam review lecture transcript covering chapters 1, 3, and 18.

Viruses

Noncellular, parasitic, protein-coated genetic elements.

Helminths

Worms that are not microorganisms but included in the study of infectious disease because they are transmitted similarly to bacterial diseases and evoke similar immune responses.

Prokaryotes

Organisms lacking a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, typically smaller in size, including Bacteria and Archaea.

Eukaryotes

Organisms containing a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, typically larger in size and multicellular, including fungi, plants, animals, and protista.

Pathogen

A microbe that causes disease.

Parasites

Organisms harbored and nourished by a host that cause damage and disease in the host.

Spontaneous Generation

An early belief that living things can originate from nonliving matter or nothing.

Robert Hooke

Scientist who made the first observations of microbes in the 1600s.

Ferdinand Cohn

Scientist who discovered and described bacterial endospores.

Sterile

Completely free of all life forms, including bacterial endospores and virus particles.

Joseph Lister

Scientist who introduced aseptic techniques and encouraged hand washing.

Germ Theory

The concept that microorganisms known as pathogens or 'germs' can lead to disease.

Robert Koch

Scientist who linked microorganisms to disease, specifically establishing the link with Bacillus anthracis.

Louis Pasteur

Scientist who helped disprove spontaneous generation, supported the germ theory, and developed the rabies vaccine.

Taxonomy

The science of classifying living beings, developed by Carl von Linné in the 1700s.

Nomenclature

The system of using an array of new, unusual, and sometimes confusing names for organisms.

Classification

The orderly arrangement of organisms into taxonomic groups (taxa).

Identification

The process of discovering and recording the traits of organisms so they can be recognized and placed in a taxonomic scheme.

Binomial System

A scientific naming system combining the capitalized genus name and lowercase species name, both italicized in print or underlined when handwritten.

Phylogeny

The taxonomic scheme that represents the natural relatedness between groups of living things based on evolution.

Five I's

The five basic techniques to manipulate, grow, examine, and characterize microorganisms: Inoculation, Incubation, Isolation, Inspection, and Identification.

Culture

The cultivation of microorganisms, or any growth that appears in or on a medium after incubation.

Medium

A nutrient-containing environment in which microbes can multiply.

Inoculation

The introduction of microbes into media for culture.

Incubation

The period of time microbes require to adjust to their environment and begin growing.

Hemolysins

Enzymes that lyse red blood cells to release iron-rich hemoglobin.

Beta Hemolysis

Complete lysis of red blood cells on blood agar media.

Alpha Hemolysis

Incomplete lysis of red blood cells on blood agar media.

Gamma Hemolysis

Lack of hemolysis on blood agar media.

Colony

A discrete mound of cells formed on a solid nutrient surface, consisting of a single species if formed from a single cell.

Refraction

The bending or change in the angle of a light ray as it passes through a medium such as a lens.

Resolution

The clarity of an image produced as light passes through media.

Oil Immersion Lens

A 100x objective lens requiring a drop of oil to prevent light ray scattering and increase numerical aperture and resolution.

Heat Fixing

Gently heating an air-dried smear slide to kill cells, secure the specimen to the slide, and preserve cellular components with minimal distortion.

Simple Stains

Staining procedures that require only a single dye.

Differential Stains

Staining procedures that use two differently colored dyes to contrast cell types or cell parts.

Gram Stain

A universal diagnostic differential stain that categorizes bacteria into Gram-positive (purple) and Gram-negative (pink).

Lysozyme

An enzyme found in sweat, tears, and saliva that specifically breaks down peptidoglycan.

MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; a tough, non-endospore-forming bacterium that forms grapelike clusters.

Impetigo

A superficial bacterial skin infection causing skin to flake or peel off, caused by S. aureus, S. pyogenes, or a combination of both.

Cellulitis

A fast-spreading infection in the dermis and subcutaneous tissues causing pain, swelling, warmth, fever, and lymph node involvement.

Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome

A dermolytic systemic form of impetigo caused by S. aureus in newborns and babies that leads to widespread desquamation.

Gas Gangrene

Also known as clostridial myonecrosis; an infection caused by Clostridium perfringens endospores requiring anaerobic conditions to release endotoxins.

Shingles

A reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (HHV-3) following a chickenpox infection, presenting as asymmetrical lesions on the trunk or head.

Variola Major

A highly virulent form of smallpox that leads to toxemia, shock, and intravascular coagulation.

Rubella

Also known as German measles or 'little red', a viral infection caused by rubivirus that causes mild symptoms in adults but severe birth defects in a fetus.

Cutaneous Anthrax

The most common and least dangerous form of Bacillus anthracis infection, characterized by the formation of a black eschar.

Dermatophytes

Fungi that cause mycoses strictly confined to nonliving epidermal tissues and their derivatives, including Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton.

Tinea Versicolor

A fungal condition caused by Malassezia that creates mild, chronic scaling and interferes with melanocytes.

Ocular Trachoma

A chronic epithelial eye infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis that leads to inflammation, scarring, and blindness.

Keratitis

A severe eye infection capable of causing complete corneal destruction, caused by pathogens like HSV-1 or Acanthamoeba.

River Blindness

An infection caused by the worm Onchocerca volvulus, transmitted by black flies, where microfilariae migrate to the eyes.