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Microbiology 204; Waldmann: Exam 2
material covered in Dr. Waldmann's Exam 2
96
Microbiology
Undergraduate 2
06/15/2010

Additional Microbiology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
biological species
Definition
a group of inter-breeding organisms
Term
bacterial strain
Definition
a group of genetically-identical bacteria
Term
bacterial species
Definition
a group of very similar strains that differ significantly from other strains; a group of bacteria that share 70% or more biochemical similarity
Term
genus
Definition
a group of closely-related species (taxonomy term)
Term
kingdom
Definition
the highest classification rank used in traditional classification (up to the mid-70s); a group of closely-related phyla
Term
domain
Definition
the highest classification rank used in modern taxonomy since the mid-70s; a group of closely-related phyla
Term
spirilla
Definition
coiled bacteria
Term
spirochetes
Definition
unusual spiral-shaped bacteria that have a sheath surrounding the cell
Term
cocci
Definition
spherical bacterial
Term
vibrio
Definition
comma-shaped bacteria
Term
bacilli
Definition
rod-shaped bacteria
Term
streptobacilli
Definition
rod-shaped bacteria in chains
Term
streptococci
Definition

spherical bacteria in chains

 

[image]

Term
staphylococci
Definition
spherical bacteria in clusters
Term
diplococci
Definition
spherical bacteria in pairs
Term
coccobacilli
Definition
very short rods or slightly elongated round bacteria
Term
genome
Definition
all of the genetic material in a virus, cell, or organism
Term
lipopolysaccharides
Definition
molecules found in the outer membrane of Gr- bacteria; can be toxic to humans
Term
cell membrane (aka plasma membrane)
Definition
a thin layer surrounding the cytoplasm in cells
Term
cell wall
Definition

a layer immediately outside the cell membrane

function: supports the cell membrane (prevents cell lysis); determines the Gr rxn of the cell; anchors teichoid acids in Gr+ bacteria; many layers thick in Gr+ bacteria but only 1-3 layers thick in Gr- cells

Term
outer membrane
Definition

a [typically ruffled] layer outside the cell membrane and the cell wall; found only on prokaryotes; found mainly on Gr- bacteria

function: holds secreted materials in the periplasm; protects cell by preventing the penetration of some chemicals (i.e. antibiotics)

Term
periplasm or periplasmic space
Definition

the space between the outer membrane and the cell membrane; found only on prokaryotes; found mainly on Gr- bacteria

function: contains enzymes & other material that protect & nourish the cell by breaking down entering compounds

Term
glycocalyx
Definition
a layer coating the cell (found outside all other layers) function: attachment, protection against dehydration & phagocytes; can create a biofilm
Term
slime layer
Definition
thin & flexible glycocalyx
Term
capsule
Definition
thick & rigid glycocalyx
Term
biofilm
Definition
a community of microbes attached to a surface; can be caused by glycocalyx or by pilus
Term
pilus
Definition
a thin, relatively short, hair-like projection from a prokaryotic cell; can create a biofilm
Term
inclusion body
Definition
granules (larger than ribosomes) visible in prokaryotic cells function: store excess nutrients or energy
Term
plasmid
Definition
a small accessory DNA molecule in P&E cells; looks like a chromosome, only smaller; rare & linear in eukaryotic cells; common & looped in prokaryotic cells
Term
lysozyme
Definition
an enzyme made by many organisms to break bonds in peptidoglycan
Term
penicillin
Definition
a compound produced by fungi in the genus Penicillium to prevent the formation of peptide cross-bridges in peptidoglycan
Term
peptidoglycan
Definition
the compound used by bacteria to make cell walls
Term
endospore
Definition
a structure that stores a copy of the bacterial chromosome during periods of harsh conditions; formed by some Gr+ bacteria
Term
vegetative cell
Definition
an actively-growing plant or bacterial cell
Term
germination
Definition
the first of two stages of the process of forming a vegetative cell from an endospore
Term
sporogenesis (aka sporulation)
Definition
the process in which a vegetative cell forms an endospore
Term
binary fission
Definition
a process of splitting in two; in micro, it is the process in which a prokaryotic cell splits to form two daughter cells
Term
doubling time (aka generation time)
Definition
the time it takes for a prokaryotic cell to complete the cycle of cell reproduction
Term
lag phase
Definition
the first phase in the plot of the growth of a culture
Term
lag phase
Definition
the phase in the plot of the growth of a culture when bacteria are put in a new culture and they do not grow immediately
Term
log growth phase
Definition
the second phase in most plots of culture growth; cells are growing rapidly and constantly in this phase
Term
stationary phase
Definition
the third phase in most plots of culture growth; the phase in which cell number does not change because cell divisions are balanced by cell deaths
Term
log death phase
Definition
the fourth and last phase in culture growth plots; the decline phase; the phase in which cells die logarithmically
Term
log growth phase
Definition
the phase in plots of culture growth in which cell number increases logarithmically as doubling time remains constant
Term
log growth phase
Definition
the phase in plots of culture growth which ends when nutrients become scarce or when waste products become concentrated and inhibit growth
Term
log death phase
Definition
the phase in plots of culture growth which occurs when nutrients are extremely scarce and/or waste products are very concentrated
Term
late log growth, when nutrients are running out; process should be completed by log death phase
Definition
the phase of culture growth in which cells that can make endospores would begin sporogenesis
Term
late log growth
Definition
the phase of culture growth in which cells that can make antibiotics begin to make them
Term
stationary phase
Definition
the phase of culture growth in which antibiotic production is normally most robust
Term
log growth phase
Definition
the phase of culture growth in which symptoms arise after a pathogen has entered a host; symptoms occur because the bacteria are releasing waste products that are toxic to the host or because the growing cells damage host tissue
Term
thermophile
Definition
an organism or species whose optimal growth rate is at elevated temperatures (between 45 and 70ºC)
Term
mesophile
Definition
an organism or species whose optimal growth rate is at moderate temperatures (between 15 and 45ºC)
Term
psychrophile
Definition
an organism or species whose optimal growth rate is at low temperatures (below 15ºC)
Term
strict aerobe (aka obligate aerobe)
Definition
an organism that must have oxygen in order to survive and reproduce
Term
strict anaerobe (aka obligate anaerobe)
Definition
an organism that dies when exposed to oxygen: it survives and reproduces in environments lacking oxygen
Term
facultative
Definition
an organism that grows well with or without oxygen
Term
anaerobe
Definition
an organism that does not use oxygen (and prefers environments with no or low oxygen)
Term
microaerophile
Definition
an organism that grows fastest in an environment with a low level of oxygen
Term
aerotolerant
Definition
an anaerobe that is not harmed by oxygen
Term
capnophile
Definition
an organism that requires comparatively high CO2 and (often) comparatively low O2
Term
neutrophile
Definition
an organism that grows fastest in an environment that has a pH near 7
Term
acidophile
Definition
an organism that grows fastest in an environment that has a pH below 7
Term
basophile
Definition
an organism that grows fastest in an environment that has a pH above 7
Term
chemical reaction
Definition
a process in which some compounds (reactants or substrates) are converted to new compounds (products)
Term
chemical reaction
Definition
a process in which chemical bonds change
Term
metabolism
Definition
the set of chemical & physical processes involved in the maintenance of life
Term
anabolism
Definition
the energy-consuming process of incorporating nutrients into protoplasm through biosynthesis
Term
catabolism
Definition
the chemical breakdown of complex compounds into simpler units to be used in cell metabolism;
Term
catabolism
Definition
reactions in which molecules are broken down, releasing energy & subunits
Term
metabolic pathway
Definition
a series of cellular reactions in which a product of one reaction is a reactant in the next reaction
Term
catalyst
Definition
something that speeds up the rate of a reaction but is not permanently changed by the reaction; most are enzymes; a few are ribozymes
Term
substrate
Definition
a reactant in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction
Term
ribozyme
Definition
a biological catalyst composed primarily of RNA
Term
enzyme
Definition
a biological catalyst composed primarily of protein
Term
cofactor
Definition
any nonprotein component (helper) of an enzyme
Term
coenzyme
Definition
an organic compound that works with an enzyme (often a vitamin)
Term
reduction
Definition
the addition of electrons
Term
oxidation
Definition
the removal of electrons
Term
NAD+ and FAD
Definition
the electron carriers most commonly used in catabolic reactions
Term
fermentation
Definition
the partial oxidation of a nutrient using internal, organic compounds as the final electron acceptor
Term
organic compounds
Definition
carbon-based compounds that contain C-C and/or C-H bonds
Term
partial oxidation
Definition
not all of the electrons that can be removed from the nutrient are removed (all the energy is not harvested)
Term
aerobic respiration
Definition
the complete oxidation of a nutrient using O2
Term
CO2 (carbon dioxide)
Definition
the completely oxidized form of carbon
Term
anaerobic respiration
Definition
the complete oxidation of a nutrient using an external final electron other than O2
Term
phosphorylation
Definition
the bonding (adding) of a phosphate group to a molecule
Term
common products of fermentative reactions
Definition
  1. acids
  2. alcohols
  3. gasses (i.e. CO2)
  4. neutral end product
Term
cytochromes
Definition
electron carriers in the electron transport system
Term
cytochrome oxidase
Definition
the electron carrier that passes the electrons to O2
Term
Proton Motive Force (PMF)
Definition
the energy of the transmembrane proton gradient (an electrochemical gradient similar to a battery)
Term
chemiosmosis
Definition
a process in which protons are allowed to flow down an electrochemical gradient and the energy released as they flow down the gradient is used to drive an energy-requiring process, such as the phosphorylation of ADP to form ATP
Term
beta oxidation
Definition
a metabolic pathway that oxidizes fatty acids, producing NADH & acetyl-CoA
Term
phototroph
Definition
an organism that gets energy from light
Term
chemotroph
Definition
an organism that gets energy from chemicals
Term
heterotroph
Definition
an organism that gets carbon from organic sources, i.e., carbon-based compounds produced by other living organisms
Term
autotroph
Definition
an organism that gets carbon from inorganic sources, typically CO2
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