Lecture Exam 1 Vocabulary Set to Study for Exams

Microbiology.

A specialized area of biology that deals with living things (some not...) ordinarily too small to be seen with the naked eye.

Cell theory.

All living things are made of cells.

Biogenesis.

Cells come from pre-existing cells.

Parts found in all cells.

Cytoplasm, cell membrane, ribosomes, DNA as hereditary material, cytoskeleton.

Microorganisms.

Organisms ordinarily too small to be seen with the naked eye.

Acellular organisms.

Organisms with no cells, technically are really not organisms but infectious agents, Examples includes viruses.

Cellular organisms.

Organisms made up of cells including prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Prokaryotes.

Organisms whose genetic material is not enclosed in membrane and lack specific organelles including bacteria.

Eukaryotes.

Organisms whose genetic material is enclosed in nucleus including fungi, algae, protozoa.

Size of viruses.

Nanometers (nm).

Size of prokaryotic cells (Bacteria, Archaea).

1-10 micrometers.

Size of eukaryotic cells (Fungi, Algae, Protozoa).

10-100 micrometers.

Classification.

Orderly arrangement of organisms into groups.

16S rRNA gene.

Gene used for bacterial identification and classification.

18S rRNA gene.

Gene used for eukaryotic cell identification and classification.

Classification system from most diverse to specific.

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species (Darn King Philip came over for great spaghetti).

Domains of the Woese-Fox Classification System.

Eubacteria, Archaea, Eukarya.

Nomenclature.

The system of assigning names to organisms.

Binomial nomenclature.

Two-name system of naming organisms, mainly using Latin and Greek names.

Proper scientific name.

Genus (capitalized) and species (lower case) and name italicized or underlined. Like Escherichia coli not E. coli.

Virus traits.

Acellular, very small, obligate intracellular parasite, made of nucleic acids and proteins.

Binary fission.

Reproductive method of prokaryotes.

Peptidoglycan.

Substance found in the cell walls of bacteria.

Chitin.

Substance found in the cell walls of fungi.

Cellulose.

Substance found in the cell walls of some algae.

Bacteriology.

Study of bacteria.

Mycology.

Study of fungi including yeasts and molds.

Protozoology.

Study of protozoa.

Parasitology.

Study of parasites including helminths or parasitic worms.

Virology.

Study of viruses.

Phycology.

Study of algae.

Pelagibacter ubique.

A marine/water bacterium that was only known by its rRNA until the 1990s although this bacterium is makes up one-third of the microbes in the ocean.

Ubiquitous.

Found everywhere.

Decomposition.

Breakdown of dead matter into simple compounds that can be directed back into nature.

Rumen.

Forestomach of cows and sheep that assists in the digestion of nutrients.

Pathogens.

Organisms or infectious agents that cause diseases in plants & animals.

Reemerging diseases.

Diseases that reappear after a significant decline usually due to drug resistance.

Emerging diseases.

Newly identified conditions that are being reported in higher numbers.

Zoonoses.

Diseases originating from animals that are transmitted to humans.

Bioremediation.

The use of microbes to clean up toxic spills including Radioactive materials and oil, other examples like working on degrading garbage and treating water.

Lactic acid bacteria.

Microbes that produces lactic acid as a by product of fermentation and are used to make dairy products like yogurt and cheese.

Curds.

Solid chunks made during the curdling process of cheese making.

Whey.

Liquid made during the curdling process of cheese making.

Rennet.

Enzymes in the mammalian stomach used in the cheese making process.

Curdling.

Products cause milk to separate into curds and whey.

Fermentation.

Process of converting sugar into alcohol, gases or acid without oxygen commonly used for food making.

Pasteurization.

Process of killing food pathogens by heat, leaving spoilage microbes and endospore formers behind.

Germ theory of disease.

Theory that microbes can invade other organisms and cause diseases.

Koch's postulates.

Set of procedures to determine if a microbe causes a certain disease.

Chemotherapy.

Treatment of disease by the use of chemical substances.

Antibiotics.

Antimicrobial substances made in nature by certain bacteria and fungi.

Vectors.

Animals that transmit infectious agents from one host to another.

Endosymbiosis.

The belief that eukaryotes evolved from larger prokaryotes that engulfed smaller prokaryotes.

Ergosterol.

Sterol found in fungal cell membranes.

Heterotrophs.

Organisms that use organic carbon sources that come from other organisms.

Saprobes.

Organisms that live off of dead organisms.

Thallus.

Body of a fungus.

Yeasts.

Ovoid shaped fungal cells normally found as single cells (thallus is a single cell).

Filamentous molds.

Multicellular fungi made of slender filaments/hyphae (thallus is made of multiple cells).

Mycelium.

Interwoven mass of hyphae/filaments that make up filamentous fungi/molds.

Hyphae.

Filaments that provide a large surface area and aid absorption of nutrients or reproduction.

Rhizoids.

Vegetative hyphae that embed into substances to anchor the mold and absorbs nutrients.

Plasmogamy.

Fusion of female and male strain cytoplasm that occurs during sexual reproduction of fungi.

Karyogamy.

Fusion of nuclei that occurs during the sexual reproduction of fungi.

Sporangiospores.

Asexual fungal spores of Rhizopus that are located in a sac.

Conidia.

Most common asexual spores of fungi that are not located in a sac.

Zygospores.

Sexual fungal spores that lead to the formation of sporangiospores.

Ascospores.

Sexual fungal spores located in a sac.

Ascus.

Sac that houses ascospores.

Basidiospores.

Sexual fungal spores located in a club shaped structure.

Basidium.

Club-like structure containing basidiospores.

Mycoses.

Infections caused by fungi.

Aflatoxin.

Fungal toxin commonly found on peanuts.

Autotroph.

Organism that can make their own organic carbon sources.

Dinoflagellates.

Algae that commonly cause red tides.

Diatoms.

Golden brown algae including plankton that are important for water food chains and making oxygen gas.

Spirogyra.

Green algae also known as pond scum.

Conjugation.

Method of exchanging genetic material between two cells by direct contact.

Prototheca.

Non-photosynthetic algae, infects skin and subcutaneous in humans.

Pfiesteria.

Algae that produces toxin that accumulates in fish and can cause neurological issues in humans.

Ectoderm.

Outer layer of a protozoan involved in protection and locomotion.

Endoderm.

Inner portion of the protozoan that contains the organelles like the nucleus and mitochondria.

Trophozoite.

Motile feeding stage of protozoa.

Cyst.

Dormant resting stage of protozoa.

Encystment.

Formation of protozoan cysts.

Excystment.

Release of a trophozoite from a protozoan cyst.

Pseudopod.

An extension of cytoplasm made by some eukaryotic cells (amoeba, phagocytes) used for motility and to capture food or foreign objects.

Transverse fission.

Method of asexual reproduction for ciliates.

Sporozoite.

Motile stage of some apicomplexa protozoa like Plasmodium.

Vehicle.

Inanimate object that serves to transmit infectious agents (solid, liquid or air).

Helminth.

Parasitic worm.

Cestode.

Flat worm, example tapeworm.

Trematode.

Flat worm, example fluke.

Nematode.

Round worm, example pinworm.

Tape test.

Method to diagnose pinworm by placing tape on the rectum to look for eggs/larvae.

Proglottids.

Segments from tapeworms found in stool that can be used for diagnosis.

Candida albicans.

Fungi, Thrush, diaper rash, "yeast" infections, systemic infections.

Candida auris.

Emerging drug resistant fungal pathogen causing infections in hospitals, affect Central Nervous System (CNS), Due to climate change and selecting fungi that have adapted to grow at human body temperature.

Trichophyton.

Fungi, Tinea or ringworm (Athlete's foot, Jock Itch).

Cryptococcus.

Fungal respiratory infections.