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Flashcards in Microbiology Deck (45)
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1
Q

What are the 5 main types of microbes?

A
  1. Bacteria
  2. Fungi
  3. Helminths
  4. Protozoa
  5. Viruses
2
Q

Give a characteristic and 2 examples of bacteria

A
  • Extracellular

- Coccus, Bacillus

3
Q

Give a characteristic and 2 examples of fungi

A
  • Cutaneous tissue and deep organs

- Yeast, Mushrooms

4
Q

Give a characteristic and 2 examples of helminths

A
  • Inflammation

- Nematode, Cestode

5
Q

Give a characteristic and 2 examples of protozoa

A
  • Mucosal damage

- Flagellates, Ciliates

6
Q

Give a characteristic and 2 examples of viruses

A
  • Intracellular

- Influenza, Measles

7
Q

What is a Prokaryote?

A

A unicellular microorganism with no nucleus or membrane-bound organelles (e.g. bacteria)

8
Q

What is a Eukaryote?

A

A multicellular microorganism with a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (e.g. plants)

9
Q

Which nucleic acids do bacteria, fungi, helminths and protozoa contain?

A

DNA and RNA

10
Q

Which nucleic acids do viruses contain?

A

DNA OR RNA

11
Q

Which microorganisms have a nuclear membrane?

A

Fungi, Helminths and Protozoa

12
Q

What is the cell wall of bacteria made of?

A

Peptidoglycan

13
Q

What is the cell wall of fungi made of?

A

Chitin

14
Q

Which microorganisms respond to antibiotics?

A

Bacteria and Protozoa

15
Q

How do bacteria replicate/ reproduce?

A

Binary fission

16
Q

How do fungi replicate/ reproduce?

A

Binary fission and sexual reproduction

17
Q

How do helminths replicate/ reproduce?

A

Sexual reproduction

18
Q

How do protozoa replicate/ reproduce?

A

Binary fission and sexual reproduction

19
Q

How do viruses replicate/ reproduce?

A

Within a host cell

20
Q

What is a probiotic? Give 3 examples

A

A ‘friendly’ microbe (e.g. staphylococcus, E.coli, yeast)

21
Q

What is a pathogen?

A

A disease-causing microorganism

22
Q

Describe the process of microbial invasion

A
  1. Entry
  2. Attachment
  3. Penetration/ Evasion of tissue
  4. Penetration/ Evasion of host
  5. Production of toxins
  6. Damage to cells
23
Q

Name 4 portals of entry for microbial invasion

A
  1. Respiratory tract
  2. Gastrointestinal tract
  3. Conjunctiva
  4. Skin
24
Q

Name 4 things that the microbes may have to penetrate to enter a cell

A
  1. Capsules
  2. Cell walls
  3. Enzymes
  4. Cytoskeletons
25
Q

Name the 4 ways in which microbes cause damage to cells

A
  1. Direct damage
  2. Exotoxins
  3. Endotoxins
  4. Lysogenic Conversion
26
Q

How does an exotoxin work?

A
  • Toxins are released into the surroundings

- These are found in gram positive bacteria

27
Q

How does an endotoxin work?

A
  • Toxins are released when the cell is disrupted (e.g. cell wall breaks down)
  • These are found in gram negative bacteria
28
Q

What is lysogenic conversion?

A

A lysogenic phage causes a change in the bacterial phenotype to make it more effective as a pathogen

29
Q

Name 3 ways of preventing microbial invasion

A
  1. Hygiene
  2. Sterilisation
  3. Preventing cross-contamination
30
Q

Describe the process of viral invasion

A
  1. Virus attaches to the cell and penetrates the membrane
  2. The nucleic acid of the virus is injected into the cell
  3. The virus uses the DNA of the cell to replicate
  4. The viral DNA is then released in viral particles
31
Q

What are the 3 shapes of bacteria?

A
  1. Coccus
  2. Bacillus
  3. Spirillum
32
Q

What is gram positive bacteria?

A
  • Has a thick layer of peptidoglycan
  • Retains crystal violet stain in gram staining
  • Example = streptococci
33
Q

What is gram negative bacteria?

A
  • Has a thin layer of peptidoglycan
  • Retains red counterstain in gram staining
  • Example = Neisseria meningitides
34
Q

Describe the process of binary fission

A
  1. DNA replication
  2. Cell elongation
  3. Septum formation
  4. Completion of septum with formation of distinct walls
  5. Cell separation
35
Q

What are the 4 phases in the life cycle of bacteria?

A
  1. Lag phase
  2. Exponential phase
  3. Stationary phase
  4. Death phase
36
Q

What is the lag phase?

A

A period of adaptation and preparation for growth via intense metabolic activity

37
Q

What is the exponential phase?

A

A period of reproduction in which cells divide at a constant rate

38
Q

What is the stationary phase?

A

A period in which the birth rate is equal to the death rate and the population has reached its maximum size

39
Q

What is the death phase?

A

A period in which the death rate is greater than the birth rate due to nutrients being used up

40
Q

What is asepsis?

A

Absence of microorganisms

41
Q

What is the study of viruses called?

A

Virology

42
Q

What is the study of fungi called?

A

Mycology

43
Q

What is the study of bacteria called?

A

Bacteriology

44
Q

What is the study of protozoa called?

A

Protozoology

45
Q

What does the word commensal mean?

A

A symbiotic relationship between 2 organisms