SCIENCE VOCAB 5/13/26

Amphipathic

water loving heads and water hating tails

Micelle

structures where the hydrophillic heads are in contact with the water while the hydrophobic tails are in the interior

Phospholipid Bilayer

The formation of cylindrical amphipathic molecules where the hydrophillic heads face out while the hydrophobic tails are in the interior

Prokaryote

single celled organisms

Binary Fission

a single bacterium reproduces asexually in a process where one cell divides into two cells

Generation Time

the time required for a population to double via binary fission

PH

the acidity level

Aerobic

require oxygen to thrive

Anaerobic

they need little to no oxygen to survive

Population

a group of organisms

Exponential Growth

increase of a population at the same rate of change over regular time intervals

Limiting Factors

the biotic and abiotic factors that restrict population size and growth, determines the maximum population that can be sustained in a space

Lag

dormant to active, new cells = dying cells

Log

exponential growth, new cells > dying cells

Stationary

nutrients begin to deplete, new cells = dying cells

Death

nutrients depleted, new cells < dying cells

Pathogenic

cause diseases under circumstances

Probiotic

harmless and beneficial to humans

Nonpathogenic

not probiotic or pathogenic

Symptoms

departures from normal function or appearance

Infection

The invasion of an organism’s body tissues by disease-causing agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to these agents

Infectious disease

the illness that is a result of an infection

Fever

Abnormally high body temperature thats caused by the body's immune response.

Range

Distance between the highest and lowest scores in a set of data.

Stability

Maintaining a certain quality overtime

Homeostasis

The body’s process of maintaining a healthy range for a number of factors

Innate Immune System

a quick, general immune response that all living things possess

Specialized Cells

Cells that perform certain functions that benefit the entire organism

Bloodstream

blood flow through the circulatory system

Ocular Lens

eyepiece of a microscope with 10x zoom

Objective Lens

a part of a light microscope that is used for additional magnification

Cell

the basic unit of sturucture and function in living things

Eukaryote

contain membrane bound organelles to help it function and allows them to specialize. Therefore, they have high diversity

Cell Membrane

the phospholipid bilayer around a cell. It regulates what enters and leaves a cell

Cell Wall

rigid outer layers outside the cell membrane, provides additional structure

Capsule

a layer of polymer sugars that protects certain bacteria from an organism’s immune response

Peptidoglycan

Sugar strands cross-linked by amino acids

Disk Diffusion Assay

a method to test the effectiveness of an antibiotic in a petri dish

Bacterial Lawn

a continuous, uninterrupted layer of bacterial growth that covers the entire surface of a nutrient agar plate

Hydrogel

water and other water soluble solutions are trapped in a network of agarose

Diffusion

the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to low concentration

Zone of Inhibition

the area where bacteria cannot grow around a given antibiotic

Phospholipid

an amphipathic molecule that has two tails

Do phospholipid bilayers have a membrane?

Yes, it acts as a selective barrier, seperating an aqueous interior from an aqueous solution

Do viruses have cell membranes?

No, viruses are non-living and are not composed of cells

Prokaryote

single celled organisms that don’t have a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles

edge of ZOI

represents the lowest concentration of an antibiotic that effectively kills bacteria

potency

the strength of a given substance at a given concentration

ribosomes

make protein

the structural characteristics of cells

cell membrane, ribosomes, cytoplasm, and DNA

processes that all cells perform

metabolism, protein synthesis, transport, communication, and reproduction

cellular transport

the movement of materials in and out of cells

cytoplasm

a gel fluid inside the cell in which the organelles are suspended

chitin

a polymer sugar with an amine group, makes up fungal and cell walls

cellulose

carbohydrate component of plant cell walls

how many micrometers are in a millimeter

1000

platelets

colorless cell fragments responsible for blood clotting

blood composition

55% plasma, <1% WBC, and 45% RBC

where blood cells are made

the bone marrow

animal cells

makes up multicellular organisms, eukaryotic, has a nucleus

Fungal Cell

makes up unicellular and multicellular organism, cell wall made of chitin

plant cell

makes up multicellular organisms, has a cell wall made of cellulose

bacterial cell

makes up unicellular organisms, has a cell wall made of peptidoglycan, prokaryotic, and doesn’t have a nucleus

how does beta-lactams achieve selective toxicity?

they inhibit peptidoglycan cross-linking by binding transpeptidade, and human cells lack peptidoglycan cell walls and transpeptidase. Therefore, the drug specifically targets bacteria while sparing human cells.

how does a disk diffusion assay measures the effectiveness of a beta-lactam or other chemical against a specific bacterial strain?

placing an antibiotic disk on a bacteria-covered agar plate and measuring the size of the zone of inhibition