microbio unit 1

what is bacteriology

the study of bacteria

what is mycology?

the study of fungi

what is protozoology?

the study of protozoa

what is phycology?

the study of algae

what is parasitology?

the study of parasites

what are the 7 microbe facts?

1. microbes are not small

2. microbes are not simple

3. there are no good or bad microbes—their goal is just to survive and reproduce

4. microbes are everywhere—not just one kind at that!

5. the importance of microbes can be underappreciated and oversold

6. there are likely hundreds of millions of species of microbes

7. microbes are critical to our past, present, and future

why are microbes essential for the global ecosystem?

cyanobacteria produce ~50% of the world’s O₂

why are microbes essential for agriculture?

they fix nitrogen and are essential in the digestion of animals

why do microbes matter in food production?

they are used for fermentation: sausages, sauerkraut, beer, aspartame, wine, etc.

why do microbes matter in terms of natural resources?

they can be used for bioremediation and sewage treatment

why do microbes matter in terms of industry?

they are used for pharmaceutical products (insulin, growth hormone) and vaccine manufacturing (Hep. B)

what is one health?

an integrated framework that balances the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems

what is bioremediation?

an eco-friendly technique that uses microbial organisms to clean hazardous soil, water, and air

what is the microbiota?

the community of living microorganisms that live in a specific environment

what is the microbiome?

the environment that the microbiota inhabit; encompasses microbiota AND their genetic material AND their environment

what is biotechnology?

the use of living organisms, cells, and biological systems to solve real-world issues

what is medical microbiology?

the utilization of microorganisms for medical treatments and solutions

what is pharmaceutical microbiology?

the utilization of microorganisms for pharmaceutical products and treatments (insulin, human growth hormone, etc.)

what is industrial microbiology?

the use of microorganisms to create biobased chemicals, fuels, and drugs

what is food microbiology?

the use of microorganisms in the production of food products

what is agricultural microbiology?

the use of microbiology for agricultural production and enhancement

what is environmental microbiology?

the use of microorganisms in environmental protocols and activities; bioremediation

what is sustainability?

producing more that you consume; not exhausting existing and vital resources

pasteurization

a heat-treatment that kills harmful germs in food and drinks; discovered by louis pasteur

biogenesis

the biological principle that all living organisms come from previous living organisms; refutes spontaneous generation

binomial nomeclature

the naming convention for living organisms; Genus species

LUCA

last universal common ancestor; coined by Woese

bacteria

one of the domains; unicellular prokaryotic organisms

archaea

one of the domains; unicellular prokaryotic organisms with distinct ribosomal RNA

eukarya

one of the domains; uni/multicellular eukaryotic organisms

micrometers

an 1000th of a centimeter

nanometer

a 1000th of a micrometer

magnification

the process of enlarging an image

resolution

image quality; the ability to discern differences in an image

contrast

the qualities in an image by which different objects can be discerned

what did robert hooke do?

english polymath who was the first to publish a description of cells; coined the term cells

what did anthony van leeuwenhoek do?

dutch microbiologist who ground his own lenses to create the simple microscope; first to see and describe bacteria

what did robert koch do?

german microbiologist who confirmed germ theory and found the causal agent of anthrax (Bacillus anthracis)

louis pasteur

french chemist who developed the process of pasteurization; disproved spontaneous generation through his swan-neck flask experiments

what are koch’s postulates?

1. a pathogen must be found only in sick individuals

2. a pathogen must be isolated from sick individuals and inoculated/grown

3. the pathogen must cause sickness when inoculated in healthy individuals

4. the pathogen must be re-isolated

what is germ theory?

the idea that pathogens cause illness

when did the golden age of microbiology occur?

1850-1920

which events constituted the golden age of microbiology?

the invention of the microscope, the classification of certain pathogens, and the development of aseptic technique

what did carl woese do?

in addition to coining the term LUCA, this scientist created the three-domain taxonomic system

what purposes must a microscope fulfill?

it must magnify, provide resolution, and provide contrast

transmission electron microscope

a scientific instrument that scans thin samples of microbial organisms using electrons

scanning electron microscope

a scientific instrument that scans a focused stream of electrons on te surface of a sample to produce a 3D image

when was the electron microscope invented?

the 1930s

what is the purpose of staining in microscopy?

to provide contrast in an image and elucidate certain characteristics of samples. stains also reveal virulence factors (endospores, flagella, etc)

gram stain

a staining technique that uses dyes to discern gram positive and gram negative bacteria; uses peptidoglycan quantities present within the cell wall for discernment

endospore stain

a staining technique that enables visualization of differentiated bacterial spores from other vegetative cells

endospores

a form of a bacterial cell; a dormant structure produced so certain bacteria can survive poor growth conditions (extreme heat, drought, etc.)

capsule stain

a type of staining that elucidates the nonionic capsules surrounding bacterium. this technique stains the background and the main bacterial cell, leaving a halo

flagella stain

a staining technique that elucidates flagella that produce from certain bacteria; exposes a significant virulence factor

oxygenic phototrophs

organisms that use water to produce oxygenic as a byproduct

anoxygenic phototrophs

organisms that use alternate sources, such as sulfur and iron, as electron donors to release sulfate as a byproduct

Great Oxidation Event

the remarkable increase in oxygen on Earth due to oxygenic photosynthesis from bacteria (mostly cyanobacteria!)

when did life appear on Earth?

around 3.8 billion years ago

anoxygenic photosynthesis

the light-driven metabolic process to produce ATP that does not produce oxygen as a byproduct

oxygenic photosynthesis

the light-driven metabolic process to produce ATP that produces oxygen as a byproduct

phototroph

an organism that uses light to produce energy

what are two common causes of plagues?

1. the agricultural revolution — hanging out with animals! most plagues have zoonotic etiological agents; the modernisation of agriculture and the domestication of animals created exposure

2. the industrial revolution — overpopulation, lack of sanitation, crowding, etc.

what are three common consequences of plagues?

1. ethnic discrimination — plagues lead humans to turn on each other; to identify scapegoats and confirm assumed differences

2. economic destabilisation — a reduction in the workforce and a reduction in labor output destabilises the market

3. political turmoil — trust in leaders and governmental structures is reduced, leading to overhauls and, in some cases, the rise of fascism

etiological agent of the bubonic plague

Yersinia pestis

what are the characteristics of Yersinia pestis?

Domain: Bacteria, prokaryotic, spread by fleas/rats

what are the signs and symptoms of the bubonic plague?

Bubo (swollen lymph nodes), cough, fever, and blackened extremities

irish potato famine etiological agent

Phytophthora infestans

Phytophthora infestans characteristics

Eukarya, Protist, water mold

NOT A FUNGI!

consequences of the potato famine

population loss, increase immigration elsewhere, soured relations with England

AIDS etiological egent

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

HIV characteristics

nonliving microbe; RNA retrovirus, attacks T-cells

retrovirus

an RNA virus that uses reverse transcriptase to synthesize DNA and reproduce within certain cells

signs & symptoms of HIV

flu-like symptoms, acute retroviral syndrome

HIV method of transmission

shared needles, sex; spread through biological fluids

HIV/AIDS stages of infection

1. Acute HIV infection — flu-like symptoms, high viral load

2. Latency period — viral DNA is quiescent, low viral load

3. AIDS onset — T-cell numbers drop rapidly

etiological agent for Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis characteristics

Domain: Bacteria, prokaryote, actinobacteria

actinobacteria

gram + bacteria with a high GC count; typically have a thick peptidoglycan cell wall

signs & symptoms of tuberculosis

cough, chest pain, blood when coughing, night sweats

modes of transmission of tuberculosis

coughing, speaking; spread through airborne droplets

why is tuberculosis especially tricky?

it’s multi-drug resistant due to the nature of the TB cell and the granulomas that form—it requires extensive antibiotic treatment, which isn’t easy to deliver

what is the etiologic agent of the flu pandemic?

the influenza virus

what are the symptoms of influenza A?

fever, chills, cough, sore throat, etc.

what are the differences between the influenza types?

A is considered to be the causal agent for many outbreaks, B is considered to be milder and more localized, and C is super mild

what are the tuberculosis A proteins?

H spikes (Hemagglutinin) and N spikes (Neuraminidase), which are surface glycoproteins.

H is necessary for viral entry (H = get in the House), while N is essential for viral release (N = Notice—I’m here! I’m spreading!)

how are influenza A strains categorized?

they are categorized by their different HA or NA proteins, such as H1N1, H5N1, etc.

antigenic drift

random mutations that occur over time that lead to differences in characteristics, structure, and functions

antigenic shift

sudden and abrupt major changes, usually due to genetic reassortment, that occur in viruses

influenza virus classification

nonliving microbe, obligate intracellular pathogen, RNA virus

obligate intracellular pathogen

microbes that are confined (obligate) to surviving within the cell of their host

when was penicillin discovered?

Sir Alexander Fleming first observed the mold (Pencillium rubens) that inhibited the growth of bacteria in 1928

what are the characteristics of Pencillium rubens?

Eukarya, Fungi; mold, Phylum Ascomycota

what was novel about pencillin?

it was the first therapeutic product isolated from a microbial source

Taq polymerase

a heat-resistant DNA polymerase discovered in 1976

when was PCR conceived?

Kary Mullis developed PCR in 1983 from Thermus aquaticus before receiving the nobel prize in 1993

Thermus aquaticus characteristics

Domain Bacteria, Prokaryote, extremophile; source of Taq polymerase

PCR

polymerase chain reaction, the process used to replicate segments of DNA

what is prophylaxis?

any treatment or procedure performed to prevent the onset of a disease or illness from occurring

what is PrEP?

pre-exposure prophylaxis; treatment given before exposure

what is PEP?

post-exposure prophylaxis; treatment given after exposure to prevent illness