Microbiology Lecture Notes

This set of flashcards covers the fundamental concepts in microbiology, particularly related to microscopy, microbial structures, and the characteristics of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and immunity.

Microscope

An optical instrument consisting of a lens or combination of lenses for making enlarged images of minute objects.

Resolving Power

The ability of an optical instrument to produce separate images of closely placed objects.

Compound Microscope

A microscope that has two magnifying lenses, the eyepiece (ocular) and the objective.

Total Magnification

The product of the ocular magnification and the objective magnification.

Oil Immersion Objective

An objective lens (x100) that requires a drop of oil to reduce light scattering.

Brightfield Scope

A microscope where objects appear against a bright background.

Darkfield Scope

A microscope where objects appear as bright images against a dark background.

Electron Microscope

A microscope that uses a beam of electrons to achieve higher resolution than light microscopes.

Acellular

Organisms that are not made up of cells, such as viruses.

Viruses

Acellular entities that have either DNA or RNA, cannot replicate independently, and are only visible through electron microscopy.

Capsid

The protein coat surrounding a virus's genome.

Cocci

Round or spherical-shaped bacteria.

Bacilli

Rectangular or rod-shaped bacteria.

Spirilla

Curved or spiral-shaped bacteria.

Gram-positive Bacteria

Bacteria that appear blue to purple after Gram staining due to thick peptidoglycan layers.

Gram-negative Bacteria

Bacteria that appear red to pink after Gram staining due to thin peptidoglycan layers.

Mycoses

Fungal infections that have varying degrees of severity depending on the location and type of fungi involved.

Antimicrobial Agent

Any substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microbes in vivo.

Antibiotic

A chemical agent produced by microbes to kill or inhibit the growth of other microbes.

Synergism

A situation where the combined effect of multiple drugs is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

Virulence

The ability of a pathogen to cause disease.

Phagocytosis

The process by which phagocytes engulf and digest pathogens.

Acquired Immunity

Immunity that results from the production or receipt of antibodies.