acid fast

in microscopy, a differential stain used to penetrate waxy cell walls

acute disease

any disease that develops rapidlly but lasts only a short time, whether it resolves in convalescence or death

aerobic

type of cellular respiration requiring oxygen atoms as final electron acceptors, needs oxygen

aflatoxin

carcinogenic mycotoxin (fungal toxin) produced by aspergillus

alkaloids

any of numerous usually colorless, complex, and bitter organic bases containing nitrogen and usually oxygen that occur especially in seed plants and are typically physiologically active

amoeba

protozoa that move and feed by pseudopodia, lack mitochondiria, and reproduce via binary fission

anaerobic

unable to tolerate oxygen

ascomycetes

division of fungi characterized by the formation of haploid ascospores within sacs called asci

ascus

sac in which haploid ascospores are formed and from which they are released in fungi of the division AScomycota

aseptic technique

creating an environment that is free of contamination by pathogens

attachment

in virology, first stage of lytic replication cycle, in which the virion attaches to the host cell

bacillus

rod-shaped prokaryotic cell

bacteriology

science that deals with bacteria and their relationship to medicine, industry and agriculture

bacterial life and their phenomenon

basidiomycetes

division of funi characterized by production of basidiospores and basidiocarps

basidium

club-shaped projections, the ends of which produce basidiospores

capsid

a protein coat surrounding the nucleic acid core of a virion

capsomere

a proteinaceous subunit of a capsid

capsule

glycocalyx composed of repeating units of organic chemicals firmly attached to the cell surface

chemoheterotroph

microorganism that uses oranic compounds for both energy and carbon

chronic infection/disease

any disease that develops slowly, usually with less severe symptoms, and is continual or recurrent

coccus

spherical prokaryotic cell

cutaneous infection

an infection of, affecting, or related to the skin

cyst

in protozoan morphology, the hardy resting stage characterized by a thick capsule and a low metabolic rate

dimorphic

having two forms, e.g. dimorphic fungi have both yeastlike and moldlike thalli

endospore

environmentally resistant structure produced by the transformation of a vegetative cell of the Gram-positive genera Bacillus or Clostridium

envelope

in virology, membrane surrounding the viral capsid

ergotism

poisoning by consuming ergot-infected grain or grain products, or from excessive use of drugs containing ergot

eubacteria

a large group of bacteria having rigid cell walls

eukaryote

any organism made up of cells containing a nucleus composed of genetic material surrounded by a material surrounded by a distinct membrane; classification includes animals, plants, algae, fungi, and protozoa

facultative anaerobe

microorganism which can live with or without oxygen

fimbria

sticky, proteinaceous extensions of some bacterial cells that function to adhere cells to one another and to environmental surfaces

flagellum

a long, whiplike structure protruding from a cell

fungi

eukaryotic organisms that have cell walls and obtain food from other organisms

fungi imperfecti

fungi which lack a sexual stage or in which the sexual stage is not known

genus

taxonomical grouping of similar species of organisms

golgi complex

in eukaryotic cells, a series of flattened, hollow sacs surrounded by phospholipid bilayers and functioning to package large molecules for export in secretory vesicles

gram stain

technique for staining microbial samples by applying a series of dyes that leave some microbes purple and others pink; developed by Christian Gram in 1884

helical

having the shape of a helix; sprial

hypha

long, branched, tubular filaments in the thalli of molds

immunology

study of the body's specific defenses against pathogens

latent disease

any disease in which a pathogen remains inactive for a long period of time before becoming active

latent period

interval of between exposure to an infectious organism or carcinogen and the clinical appearance of the disease

lysosome

vesicle in animal cells that contains digestive enzymes

meiosis

nuclear division of diploid eukaryotic cells resulting in four haploid nuclei

mitochondrion

spherical to elongated structures found in most eukaryotic cells that produce most of the ATP in the cell

mitosis

nuclear division of eukaryotic cell resulting in two nuclei with the same ploidy as the original

mold

a typically multicellular fungus that grows as long filaments called hyphae and reproduces by means of spores

mucopeptide

a crystal lattice structure in the bacterial cell wall that is made up of linear chains of alternating amino sugars and short peptide chains of three to five amino acids

mycelium

tangled mess of hyphae

mycology

the scientific study of fungi

mycosis

fungal disease

normal flora (microbiota)

the group of microbes that normally inhabit the surfaces of the body without causing diseases

nucleus

spherical to ovoid membranous organelle containing a eukaryotic cell's primary genetic material

obligate intracellular parasite

parasitic microorganisms that are capable of growing and reproducing inside cells

oncogene

a gene that played a normal role in the cell as a proto-oncogene (genes that play a role in cell division) and that has been altered by mutation and now may contribute to the growth of a tumor

oncogenic virus

a virus associated with cancer

opportunist

microorganisms that cause disease when the immune system is suppressed, when microbial antagonism is reduced, or when introduced into an abnormal area of the body

organelle

cellular structure that acts as a tiny organ to carr out one or more cell functions

penetration

process by which naked virions injet genomes into their animal host cell hosts

pleomorphic

term used to describe a variably shaped prokaryotic cell

polyhedral

a three-dimensional geometric figure whose sides are polygons

probiotics

a microbe that protects its host and prevents disease

prokaryote

any unicellular microorganism that lacks a nucleus; classification includes bacteria or archaea

protooncogene

a normal gene that has the potential to be an oncogene

protozoa

single-celled eukaryotes that lack a cell wall and are similar to animals in their nutritional needs and structure

protozoology

the biological study of protozoans

rough endoplasmic reticulum

type of endoplasmic reticulum that has ribosomes adhering to its outer surface; produce proteins for transport throughout the cell

saprophyte

an organism that feeds on dead organic matter especially a fungus or bacterium

septum

crosswalls in a cell; a dividing partition between two tissues or cavities

smooth endoplasmic reticulum

type of endoplasmic reticulum that lacks ribosomes and plays a role in lipid synthesis and transport

species

taxonomic category of organisms that can successfully interbreed

spirillum

a stiff spiral-shaped prokaryotic cell

spirochete

group of helical, Gram-negative bacteria with axial filaments that cause the organism to corkscrew, enabling it to burrow into a host's tissues

spontaneous generation

the theory that living organisms can arise from nonliving matter

subcutaneous infection

a deep infection in the skin, beneath the basic dermis

systemic infection

infection caused by microorganisms in animals or plants where the causal agent has spread actively or passively into the host's anatomy

thallus

body of a fungus or alga

transformation (cancer biology)

method of horizontal gene transfer in which a recipient cell takes up DNA from the environment

trophozoite

the motile feeding stage of a protozoa

uncoating

in animal viruses, the removal of a viral capsid within a host cell

vector (in epidemiology)

nucleic acid molecule such as a viral genoome, transposon, and plasmid that is used to deliver a gene into a cell; an animal that transmits disease from one host to another

vibroid

a slightly curved rod-shaped prokaryotic cell

virology

the study of viruses and viral diseases

virus

tiny infectious acellular agent with nucleic acid surrounded by proteinaceous capsomeres that form a covering called a capsid

yeast

a unicellular, typically oval or round fungus that usually reproduces asexually by budding