Historical Perspective and Principles of Microbiology Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering topics from lecture notes on introductory microbiology concepts, historical figures, cell structures, origin of life theories, and phylogenetic relationships.

COPD

An abbreviation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

CRISPR

A gene editing tool referred to as "Genetic Scissors" capable of precise genomic modifications.

Domain Bacteria

A group of usually single-celled organisms with an "open floor plan" (lacking a membrane-bound nucleus), most containing cell walls made of peptidoglycan, and capable of inhabiting extreme environments.

Domain Archaea

A group of prokaryotic organisms distinguished from Bacteria by unique rRNA sequences and membrane lipids, often inhabiting extreme environments and not directly causing disease in humans.

Protists

Unicellular eukaryotic organisms generally larger than Bacteria and Archaea, which include photosynthetic algae and protozoa with animal-like metabolism.

Fungi

Eukaryotic organisms that can be unicellular (yeast) or multicellular (molds and mushrooms).

Life

Defined as the ability to grow, reproduce, adapt, maintain order, structure, and homeostasis, obtain and use energy, and respond to stimuli.

Panspermia Theory

The hypothesis that meteorites brought biomolecules to Earth from other places in the universe.

Primordial Soup Theory

The hypothesis that organic molecules spontaneously assembled on early Earth using energy provided by lightning.

Hydrothermal Vent Theory

The hypothesis that the fundamental molecules and energy required for the origin of life originated at deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

Ribozyme

An RNA molecule that possesses catalytic activity.

RNA World Hypothesis

The hypothesis that RNA preceded DNA and proteins in early evolution, supported by evidence that rRNA catalyzes peptide bond formation and RNA can regulate gene expression.

LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor)

The most recent common ancestral organism from which all three domains of life (Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya) arose.

Endosymbiotic Theory

The concept that eukaryotic organelles such as mitochondria, chloroplasts, and hydrogenosomes evolved from an endosymbiotic interaction where a prokaryotic organism lived inside another cell.

Hydrogenosome

An anaerobic endosymbiont-derived organelle that produces ATP via fermentation.

Horizontal Gene Transfer

A mechanism by which Bacteria and Archaea transfer genetic material to expand their gene pool without sexual reproduction.

Taxonomy

The science of classifying living things through binomial nomenclature (Genus species) and identification of relationships.

Strain

The descendants of a single, pure microbial culture that may differ biochemically, morphologically, or pathogenically from other members of the same species.

Evolutionary Distance (ED)

A calculated mathematical value derived by comparing aligned small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) sequences to quantify the relative genetic relatedness between organisms.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

A Dutch merchant who built single-lens microscopes capable of up to 300$\times$ magnification and provided early documented descriptions of microscopic organisms.

Golden Age of Microbiology

A period from approximately 1850 to 1915 characterized by rapid scientific discoveries addressing spontaneous generation, fermentation, disease causation, and disease prevention.

Spontaneous Generation

An ancient theory proposed by Aristotle asserting that living organisms can routinely arise from nonliving matter.

John Needham

A scientist who supported spontaneous generation by demonstrating microbial growth in boiled, sealed plant/gravy infusions, though his results were compromised by insufficient heating or improper sealing.

Lazzaro Spallanzani

A scientist who challenged Needham's findings by demonstrating that thoroughly boiled and tightly sealed broth showed no microbial growth unless exposed to air.

Pasteurization

A controlled heating process developed by Louis Pasteur that applies sufficient heat to liquids to destroy most spoilage-causing bacteria without destroying the product.

Industrial Microbiology

A branch of microbiology focused on the intentional, large-scale application of microorganisms to manufacture biological products.

Eduard Buchner

A chemist who demonstrated cell-free alcoholic fermentation using extracted enzymes from yeast cells, initiating the field of modern biochemistry.

Robert Koch

A physician who proved that a specific bacterium causes anthrax and developed fundamental bacteriological methodologies, including simple staining, photomicrography, and the use of Petri dishes.