Food Microbio Exam 1 flashcards

What is microbiology?

The study of living organisms of microscopic size.

What are the three domains of microorganisms?

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.

Who is known as the Father of Microbiology?

Anton van Leeuwenhoek.

What hypothesis did Louis Pasteur disprove?

Spontaneous Generation (Abiogenesis).

What are aerobic bacteria?

Bacteria that require oxygen to grow.

What is pasteurization?

A process that heats a substance without destroying it, killing pathogens without affecting taste or color.

What did Edward Jenner do in 1796?

He inoculated a person with cowpox virus to provide protection from smallpox.

What is the primary function of amino acids?

They are the building blocks of proteins, serving structural, metabolic, and energy functions.

What are the characteristics of fatty acids?

They are lipid subunits, consisting of glycerol and fatty acids, and are nonpolar and insoluble in water.

Define monosaccharides.

Simple sugars with 3 to 7 carbon atoms, important in cell metabolism and structure.

What are the two types of nucleic acids?

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).

What is the resolution in microscopy?

The ability of the lens to distinguish two points.

What is the function of a Gram stain?

To distinguish between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

What is the function of fimbriae?

Fimbriae allow bacteria to attach to surfaces.

Describe the structure of a prokaryotic cell's wall.

It consists of peptidoglycan, which is a polymer of disaccharides linked by polypeptides.

What are protoplasts?

Wall-less cells, susceptible to osmotic lysis.

What occurs during spontaneous generation?

The hypothesis that living organisms arise from nonliving matter.

What is the process of sporulation?

The formation of endospores.

What is the significance of Koch's Postulates?

They provide systematic steps to prove that a specific microbe causes a specific disease.

What is the composition of a phospholipid bilayer?

It is composed of hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails, forming the structure of cell membranes.

What does ATP stand for?

Adenosine Triphosphate, used as an energy carrier in cells.

What is the role of ribosomes in prokaryotic cells?

They are the site of protein synthesis.

What is the main difference between TEM and SEM?

TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) studies internal structures while SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) studies the surface of specimens.

What is immunity?

The protection against disease, often developed through vaccination.

What are the primary characteristics of viruses?

They consist of nucleic acid and proteins and require a host cell to replicate.