Introduction to Microbial Groups and Biochemistry Review Videos

Parasitic worms, including tapeworms, roundworms, and flukes

Helminths

Adult worms are usually large enough to see without a microscope, so they are

Not considered microorganisms

Type: Bacterium

Typical location: Large intestine

Effects on health: Usually harmless and may help produce vitamin K. Certain strains cause diarrhea. Entering other body sites can cause UTIs or other infections.

E. coli

Type: Fungus: usually a yeast

Typical location: Mouth, digestive tract, vagina, and skin

Effects on health: Usually lives harmlessly in small amounts. Overgrowth can cause thrush, vaginal yeast infections, skin infections, or bloodstream infections.

Candida albicans

Type: Fungus, a mold

Typical location: Soil, decaying plants, dust, and air

Effects on health: Helps break down dead material. Inhaled spores can cause allergic reactions or lung infections, especially in people with weakened immunity.

Aspergillus species

They kill microbes or stop their growth by targeting structures or processes such as cell walls, membranes, protein production, or DNA replication.

Antimicrobial medications

What causes disease?

Pathogens

What normally live on or inside the body without causing disease, although some can cause infection under certain conditions?

Resident microbiota

What are some roles of resident microbiota in the body

Food digestion, vitamin production, immune system development, and prevent other microbes from taking over

Greater exposure to blank may increase the chance of infection

Microbes

A microbe’s ability to attach, invade, produce toxins, or escape immune defenses affects how much harm it causes

Virulence

Factors that influence whether disease occurs

Number of microbes, Virulence, Location, Host defenses, Host health, and Microbiota balance

Three important safety considerations in medical settings

Clean hands, Use appropriate protection, and Prevent contamination

Resists changes in pH by accepting or releasing hydrogen ions (H⁺)

Buffer

Releases H⁺. Has a pH below 7

Acid

Accepts H⁺ or releases hydroxide ions (OH⁻). Has a pH above 7

Base

Has a pH of 7, like pure water.

Neutral

Each step on the pH scale represents a blank in H⁺ concentration

10-fold change

Description: Sugars and chains of sugars

Subunits: Monosaccharides, such as glucose

Carbohydrates

A distinct molecule, protein chain, or component that combines with other similar or different parts to form a larger, more complex functional structure

Subunits

Description: Fats and other mostly water-insoluble molecules

Subunits: Many contain glycerol and fatty acids. Do not have one universal monomer

Lipids

Description: DNA and RNA

Subunits: Nucleotides

Nucleic acids

Description: Folded chains of amino acids

Subunits: Amino acids

Proteins

• Provide quick energy, especially glucose.

• Store energy as glycogen in animals or starch in plants.

• Provide structural support, such as cellulose in plant cell walls.

• Help cells recognize and communicate with each other

Carbohydrates

Store energy long term, insulate the body, and cushion organs. Each contains glycerol and three fatty acids

Triglycerides

Form the cell membrane’s bilayer. Their heads attract water, while their tails repel water

Phospholipids

Include cholesterol, which helps regulate membrane fluidity, and certain hormones

Steroids

Provide protective, water-resistant coatings

Waxes

Each nucleotide contains?

• A phosphate group

• A five-carbon sugar

• A nitrogenous base

What is the five-carbon sugar in DNA?

Deoxyribose

What is the five-carbon sugar in RNA?

Ribose

The five nitrogenous bases are?

adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil

What are the DNA bases?

Adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine

What are the RNA bases?

Adenine, uracil, cytosine, guanine

Act as enzymes, provide structural support, transport substances, allow movement, send signals, and defend against infection.

Proteins

The covalent bond that joins two amino acids

peptide bond

The order of amino acids in a chain

Primary

Local folding into alpha helices or beta sheets, held by hydrogen bonds

Secondary

The overall three-dimensional shape of one amino acid chain

Tertiary

Two or more amino acid chains joining to form a functional protein

Quaternary

The loss of a protein’s normal shape, often caused by heat, extreme pH, or chemicals. It usually causes loss of function without breaking the peptide bonds

Denaturation