Microbiology Final Exam Practice Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary terms and definitions derived from a microbiology final exam practice transcript covering cell biology, metabolism, genetics, and infectious diseases.

Biogenesis

The theory that living cells arise only from preexisting living cells.

Carolus Linnaeus

The scientist who developed the formal system for classifying organisms into groups and the binomial naming system.

Prokaryotic Cell

A type of cell that lacks a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, typically possessing $70S$ ribosomes and a peptidoglycan cell wall.

Western Blotting

A laboratory technique used to detect specific protein molecules; unlike Southern blotting, it is not based on nucleic-acid hybridization.

Archaea

A domain of prokaryotic organisms known for surviving extreme environments, lacking peptidoglycan in their cell walls, and having ester-linked phospholipids.

Penicillin

An antibiotic that causes bacterial cell death by preventing the formation of bacterial cell walls.

Endotoxins

Molecules derived from the outer membrane of the gram-negative cell wall, often associated with Lipid A.

Virulence

The degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism, contributed to by the number of microbes, evasion of host defenses, and toxin production.

Peyer’s patches

A component of Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) found in the small intestine.

Anaerobic Respiration in Yeast

A metabolic process that produces carbon dioxide and ethanol as end products.

Treponema pallidum

The bacterium that acts as the causative agent of syphilis.

Helicobacter pylori

The microorganism identified as the most common cause of peptic ulcer disease.

Facilitated Diffusion

A process that moves materials from higher to lower concentration across a membrane using transporter proteins without requiring ATP.

Glycolysis

A metabolic pathway that converts glucose into two pyruvate molecules, yielding a net of $2$ ATP and $2$ NADH.

Gene

A specific sequence of nucleotides in DNA that codes for a functional product.

Biofilm

A community of microorganisms attached to a surface, such as dental plaque.

Prions

Infectious protein particles that cause diseases such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), Sheep Scrapie, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Binary Fission

The primary method by which most bacteria reproduce.

Normal Microbiota

Microbes that naturally and mutualistically live in the human body, providing protection and producing essential vitamins.

Edward Jenner

The first individual to advocate for and develop the practice of immunization.

Acid-Fast Stain

A differential stain used specifically to identify microbes in the genera Mycobacterium and Nocardia.

Krebs Cycle

A series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to generate energy, which begins with the molecule Acetyl CoA.

Microaerophile

An organism that requires oxygen for growth but at a concentration lower than that found in the air.

Log Phase

The phase of bacterial growth characterized by exponential growth of cells.

Chitin

The main structural component found in the cell walls of fungi.

Rubisco

The enzyme responsible for the fixation of $CO_2$ during the Calvin cycle in photosynthesis.

Chemoheterotroph

An organism that utilizes organic molecules (like glucose) as both its source of carbon and its source of energy.

Transmission Electron Microscope

A type of microscope used to achieve the highest resolution for viewing internal cellular structures.

Plate Count (CFU method)

A direct technique for determining the number of viable bacterial cells in a sample.

Carl Woese

The scientist who devised the classification system categorizing all life forms into three domains based on cellular structures.

Plasmolysis

The shrinkage of a cell's cytoplasm away from its cell wall due to water loss in a hypertonic solution (e.g., $5\%$ NaCl).

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The synthesis of ATP using energy released by electrons as they are passed through a series of carriers to $O_2$ via a proton gradient.

Bacteriostatic

A type of treatment or agent that inhibits the growth of bacteria without necessarily killing the vegetative cells.

16S Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene

The specific genetic sequence typically used in molecular techniques for identifying and classifying prokaryotic organisms.

Dichotomous Key

A tool used to identify organisms by repeatedly choosing between two contrasting characteristics at each step.

Scolex

The head of a tapeworm intestinal parasite, used for attachment to the host.

Lysogeny

A state in which phage DNA is incorporated into the host cell's DNA without causing immediate lysis.

RNA Polymerase

The enzyme responsible for copying DNA to synthesize a molecule of RNA during transcription.

Lac Operon

A genetic model in E. coli that is triggered by the presence of lactose and low levels of glucose to synthesize inducible enzymes.

Septicemia

The medical condition characterized by bacteria growing and multiplying within the blood.

Shingles

A viral skin infection causing fluid-filled blisters that follow a nerve pathway, resulting from the reactivation of a latent virus.

Arboviruses

A group of viruses, such as those causing encephalitis, that are transmitted to humans via mosquitoes.

Clostridium difficile

The bacterium most commonly associated with causing pseudomembranous colitis following the use of antibiotics.