BIO2010 Microbiology - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key microbiology concepts from lecture notes (types of microbes, cell types, taxonomy, nomenclature, and basic biology).

Microbiology

The study of microorganisms, living things too small to be seen with the naked eye.

Microorganisms

Living organisms that are too small to be seen without a microscope; include bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae, viruses, and parasites.

Prokaryote

Organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus; includes bacteria and archaea; typically unicellular.

Eukaryote

Organisms with a true nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; generally larger than prokaryotes.

Bacteria

Prokaryotic microorganisms with cell walls that contain peptidoglycan.

Archaea

Prokaryotic microorganisms without peptidoglycan in their cell walls, often living in extreme environments.

Algae

Plant-like protists that are photosynthetic and may be unicellular or multicellular; have cell walls.

Protozoa

Animal-like protists; classified by movement (cilia, flagella, or pseudopodia); typically unicellular and lack rigid cell walls.

Fungi

Eukaryotic, absorptive heterotrophs with cell walls made of chitin; includes yeasts (unicellular) and molds (multicellular with hyphae).

Helminths

Parasitic worms (roundworms and tapeworms) with microscopic life stages; eukaryotic.

Virus

Nonliving infectious particles that require a host to replicate; can contain DNA or RNA and are not cells.

Binomial nomenclature

A two-name system for naming species using genus and species epithet; italicized or underlined; genus capitalized, species lowercase (e.g., Escherichia coli).

Five kingdoms (Whittaker)

The classical grouping: Protista, Plantae, Fungi, Animalia, and Monera; classification based on morphology and metabolism.

Three domains (Woese)

A three-domain system: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, based on ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences.

Ribosome

Molecular machines composed of RNA and proteins that translate genetic information during protein synthesis; the RNA component is rRNA.

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

The RNA component of ribosomes; highly conserved and used to infer evolutionary relationships.

Nomenclature formatting

Genus and species names are italicized or underlined; genus capitalized, species not (e.g., Escherichia coli).

SARS-CoV-2

Virus that causes COVID-19; responsible for the global pandemic beginning in 2019; transmission and case/death data included in the notes.