Microbiology Fundamentals Flashcards

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering basic microbiology concepts, taxonomic domains and kingdoms, historical figures, laboratory techniques, and cell structures for both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Domain Archae

Microorganisms that live in extreme conditions and are characterized as prokaryotic.

Domain Bacteria

Microorganisms that live everywhere and are characterized as prokaryotic.

Domain Eukarya

A domain that includes kingdoms protist, fungi, plantae, and animalia; characterized as eukaryotic.

Protista / Protoctista

Mostly unicellular organisms (a few are multicellular) with complex cell structures containing a nucleus; an example is amoebas.

Fungi

Multicellular organisms with complex cell structures and a nucleus; cell walls are not made of cellulose and they are saprophytic feeders without chlorophyll (e.g., mushrooms).

Plantae

Multicellular organisms with complex cell structures and a nucleus; they have cell walls made of cellulose and are autotrophic feeders using chlorophyll (e.g., trees).

Animalia

Multicellular organisms with complex cell structures and a nucleus; they lack cell walls and chlorophyll and are heterotrophic feeders (e.g., fish).

Monera

Unicellular organisms with a simple cell structure and no nucleus, including bacteria and archaea (e.g., mycobacterium).

Prokaryotic

One-celled organisms that have no nucleus.

Eukaryotic

Organisms that possess a true nucleus and can be single or multicellular.

Unicellular

An organism consisting of only one cell.

Multicellular

An organism consisting of many cells.

Colonial

Many one-celled organisms that live together.

Immunology

The study of body defenses.

Public health microbiology

The field concerned with illness and the number of illnesses in a population.

Epidemiologist

A professional who paints a picture of what a disease does and how it can be prevented and treated.

Biotechnology

The study of the actions of living things to reach a destination.

Industrial microbiology

The branch of microbiology involved in the production of vaccines, vitamins, and drugs.

Genetic engineering

The practice of making alterations to DNA.

Microbiology

A specialized area of biology that deals with tiny life forms that are not readily observed without magnification (microscopic).

Theory of Spontaneous Generation

A belief that living things came from non-living things, such as frogs from rain.

Germ Theory of Disease

The theory that infectious diseases are caused by microscopic organisms known as germs that invade and multiply in the body.

Scientific Method

A methodology involving question, research, hypothesis, test, analyze, test again, and conclusion.

Taxonomy

A formal system for organizing, classifying, and naming things.

Binomial system

A formal 2-part naming system consisting of the genus name and the specific name.

Nomenclature

The established system of rules for formally naming and classifying organisms.

Bacteriology

The study of bacteria.

Classification

The process of arranging microorganisms into groups based on their similarities.

Parasitology

The study of parasites.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Known as the Father of Microbiology; the first to observe and describe microorganisms using a microscope.

Louis Pasteur

Helped establish germ theory; in $1859$, his swan-neck flask experiment showed microbes come from the environment, not spontaneous generation.

Francesco Redi ($1626$–$1697$)

Conducted the meat experiment showing maggots come from flies, disproving spontaneous generation.

John Tyndall ($1820$–$1893$)

Demonstrated that microbes are present in dust and air and that some are heat-resistant.

Ferdinand Cohn ($1828$–$1898$)

Discovered heat-resistant endospores, explaining survival after boiling.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. ($1809$–$1894$)

Found that women giving birth at home had fewer infections, emphasizing hygiene.

Robert Koch

Developed Koch’s postulates and proved that specific microbes cause specific diseases.

Ignaz Semmelweis ($1818$–$1865$)

Showed that handwashing drastically reduced infections in maternity wards.

Joseph Lister ($1827$–$1912$)

Introduced aseptic techniques and antiseptics in surgery to prevent infection.

Inoculation

Placing a sample into a container of medium that supplies nutrients for growth; the first stage in culturing.

Incubation

Exposing inoculated medium to optimal growth conditions, generally for a few hours to days.

Isolation

Methods for separating individual microbes to achieve isolated colonies distinguishable macroscopically.

Inspection

Observing cultures macroscopically for appearance and microscopically for the appearance of cells.

Information gathering

Testing cultures using procedures like biochemical analysis, immunologic reactions, drug sensitivity, and genetic makeup.

Identification

Analysis of collected data to support a final determination of the types of microbes present.

Enriched Medium

A special culture medium containing extra nutrients like blood or serum for fastidious bacteria.

Selective Medium

A culture medium containing ingredients like antibiotics or dyes that inhibit unwanted microbes while allowing desired ones to thrive.

Differential Medium

A culture medium with ingredients that allow one to distinguish between different types of microbes based on specific characteristics.

Mixed culture

A culture containing two known organisms.

Pure culture

A culture containing only one organism.

Contaminated culture

A culture containing one known organism and one unknown organism.

Resolving power

The ability to distinguish two points as separate rather than one blurred image.

Fastidious

Microbes with very specific, complex nutritional requirements.

Gram-positive

Bacteria that retain a purple stain during the Gram stain procedure.

Gram-negative

Bacteria that stain pink or red during the Gram stain procedure.

Morphology

The study of the form, size, and structure of microorganisms.

Peptidoglycan

A large polymer forming a mesh-like scaffold around the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane.

Glycocalyx

A coating external to the cell wall (slime layer or capsule) for protection, adhesion, and receptor functions.

Plasmids

Small, circular, double-stranded DNA molecules separate from the main bacterial chromosome.

Tetrad

A group of four microbial cells that remain together after cell division.

Sarcina

A genus of bacteria known for a cuboidal packet-like arrangement resulting from division in three perpendicular planes.

Diplococcus

Bacteria typically found in pairs.

Binary fission

The process by which bacteria divide into two cells.

Conjugation

The process of passing a segment of DNA, often via a pilus, from a donor cell to a recipient cell.

Monotrichous

A flagellar arrangement consisting of a single flagellum at one end.

Lophotrichous

A flagellar arrangement with small branches emerging from the same site.

Amphitrichous

A flagellar arrangement with flagella at both ends of the cell.

Peritrichous

A flagellar arrangement where flagella are dispersed over the surface of the cell.

Cocci

Spherical-shaped bacteria.

Bacilli

Rod-shaped bacteria.

Vibrio

Comma-shaped spiral bacteria.

Septate

Structures divided by a septum, wall, or partition.

Nonseptate

Having no internal divisions or walls, creating a continuous multinucleated structure.

Saprobe

An organism that obtains energy by breaking down dead or decaying organic matter.

Mycelium

A mass of branching thread-like hyphae forming the root-like structure of a fungus.

Mitochondria

Known as the powerhouse of the cell; produces ATP energy through cellular respiration.

Ribosomes

The site of protein synthesis within a cell.

Golgi apparatus

Modifies, sorts, and packages proteins and lipids for transport.

Lysosomes

Organelles containing enzymes that digest waste, old organelles, and pathogens.