Microbiology Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards from lecture notes on bacteria and microorganisms.

Gram-positive bacteria

Bacteria that stain purple due to a thick peptidoglycan layer that retains crystal violet dye.

Gram-negative bacteria

Bacteria with a thin peptidoglycan layer and an outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharides and porins, staining pink or red.

Porin proteins

Proteins in the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria that allow the passage of certain molecules.

Techoic acids

Polymers found in the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria.

37 C

A temperature range that E. coli can survive in

Chemoautotrophs

Organisms that obtain energy from chemical compounds and carbon from carbon dioxide.

Pathogen

An organism capable of causing disease.

Mesophile

Microorganisms that grow best at moderate temperatures, typically between 20°C and 45°C.

Endospore

A dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by certain bacteria.

Streptobacillus

Rod-shaped bacteria arranged in chains.

Streptomyces

A genus of Gram-positive bacteria known for producing antibiotics.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria that use light as an energy source.

Treponema

A Gram-negative, spiral-shaped bacterium with an axial filament.

Nitrogen Fixation

The direct conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia.

Facultative anaerobes

Organisms that thrive in anaerobic environments but can grow in the presence of oxygen.

Mesophile

Microorganisms that grow best at moderate temperatures

Anaerobic respiration

Respiration that does not require oxygen and uses an inorganic terminal electron acceptor.

Archaea

Single-celled microorganisms belonging to Domain Archaea, often thriving in extreme environments.

Flagella

Filamentous appendages used for motility in bacteria.

Ribosome

The only eukaryotic organelle that is not a membrane bound compartment.

Peptidoglycan

A macromolecule that is a component of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative cell walls.

Streptococci

Spherical bacteria arranged in chains.

Mitochondria

A cellular organelle found in photosynthetic eukaryotes.

Chloroplasts

A cellular organelle found in eukaryotic cells only

Volume; surface area

The ratio of surface area to volume decreases as a cell grows larger.

Escherichia

Microorganism with a peptidoglycan cell wall with an outer membrane.

Phototroph

A process by which an organism uses energy from sunlight.