General Microbiology - MCB 201
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Questions and Answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a major group of microorganisms?

  • Protozoa
  • Fungi
  • Prions (correct)
  • Bacteria

    • Which of the following is NOT an example of how microbiology impacts human health?

  • Production of insulin
  • Development of biodegradable products (correct)
  • Development of antibiotics
  • Disease diagnosis and prevention

    • What is the main property that unites all 5 major groups of microorganisms?

  • They all cause disease
  • They all require oxygen to survive
  • They all reproduce asexually
  • They are all microscopic (correct)

    • What is the term for the process of using bacteria to clean up oil spills?

    <p>Bioremediation (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a benefit of studying microbes in medical research?

    <p>Complex cellular structures allow for detailed study of specific processes (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of a product produced through genetic engineering using microbes?

    <p>Insulin (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements BEST describes the scientific method?

    <p>A systematic approach to investigate phenomena through observations, hypothesis testing, and experimentation (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of an observation that would be considered objective?

    <p>The bread is brown and crusty (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role do microorganisms play in the human digestive tract?

    <p>They synthesize vitamin K and B. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scientist was known for developing the cell theory?

    <p>Robert Hooke (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of microbes as decomposers?

    <p>To recycle nutrients from dead matter. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which process did Louis Pasteur develop to kill spoilage microorganisms?

    <p>Pasteurization (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do Koch’s postulates help establish?

    <p>The connection between a microbe and a disease. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which organism is primarily responsible for nitrogen fixation?

    <p>Certain bacteria (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What significant concept did Louis Pasteur disprove?

    <p>Spontaneous generation. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of organisms did Anton van Leeuwenhoek observe under his microscope?

    <p>Animalcules such as bacteria and protozoa (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Flashcards

    Microbiology

    The study of microorganisms, which are invisible to the naked eye.

    Scientific Method

    A systematized approach to acquire knowledge through observation, hypothesis, and experimentation.

    Five Major Groups of Microorganisms

    Bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa, and viruses; all share a very small size.

    Prions and Viroids

    Smaller groups of microorganisms beyond the five major ones.

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    Impact on Human Health

    Microorganisms significantly affect human health through diseases and beneficial uses.

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    Bioremediation

    The use of bacteria to clean up environmental pollutants, like oil spills.

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    Genetic Engineering in Microbes

    Designing recombinant microbes to produce vital products like insulin and vaccines.

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    Food Industry Contributions

    Microbes are essential for producing various foods and beverages such as bread, cheese, and yogurt.

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    Penicillin

    An antibiotic naturally produced by a mold.

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    Microorganisms in Digestion

    Microbes in animals' digestive tracts aid digestion and vitamin synthesis.

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    Photosynthesis

    Process where algae and bacteria convert sunlight into food.

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    Decomposers

    Microbes that break down dead matter and recycle nutrients.

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    Nitrogen Fixation

    Bacteria converting nitrogen from the air into soil.

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    Louis Pasteur

    Scientist who linked microbes to disease and developed pasteurization.

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    Koch's Postulates

    Criteria established to link specific microbes to diseases.

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    Anton van Leeuwenhoek

    First to develop a simple microscope and observe microorganisms.

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    Study Notes

    General Microbiology - MCB 201

    • Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye.
    • Key groups of microorganisms include bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. Smaller groups also exist, such as prions and viroids.
    • Microorganisms are all very small.
    • Some microbes, such as bread molds and filamentous algae, can be seen without magnification.
    • The study of microbiology is important in many fields, impacting human health, agriculture and industry.

    Scope & History of Microbiology

    • Microbiology applies the scientific method: observations (objective vs. subjective), formulating hypotheses, testing hypotheses through controlled experiments, and accepting, revising, or rejecting hypotheses.
    • Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) developed a simple microscope, observed live microorganisms and reported microorganisms at high magnification, and is considered the "father of Microbiology".
    • Robert Hooke (1635-1703) built a compound light microscope, observed cork cells, and coined the term "cell". His discovery led to the cell theory, which established that cells are the fundamental units of living organisms.
    • Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) demonstrated that infectious diseases are caused by microbes, disproved spontaneous generation, developed the process of pasteurization, and developed vaccines for several diseases in animals and humans.
    • Robert Koch (1843–1910) established that microbes cause disease. He developed criteria for linking a microbe to a disease, known as Koch's postulates.

    Koch's Postulates

    • The microorganism must be present in every case of the disease and absent from healthy organisms.
    • The suspected microorganism must be isolated and grown in pure culture.
    • When the microorganism is inoculated into a healthy host, the same disease condition must result.
    • The same microorganism must be re-isolated from the experimentally infected host.

    Why Study Microbiology?

    • Impact on human health: microbes are a food source, help in decomposition, and aid other animals in digestion.
    • Environmental benefits: providing safe drinking water, developing biodegradable products, cleaning up oil spills (bioremediation).
    • Industrial purposes: food production (cheese, bread, wine), antibiotics, insulin, and genetic engineering.
    • Agricultural benefits: healthier livestock and disease-free crops.

    Important and Beneficial Biological Functions of Microbes

    • Food industry: many foods and beverages (e.g., beer, bread, yogurt) are produced using microbes.
    • Genetic engineering: microbes are used to produce important products like human growth hormone, insulin, clotting factors for various medical conditions, and antibodies for disease diagnosis and prevention.

    Medical Research

    • Microbes are well suited for biological and medical research: simple structures, easy study, easily manipulated genetic material, rapid growth, and short generation times for studying genetic changes.
    • Many antibiotics and other drugs are synthesized by microbes.

    Microbiology Disciplines

    • Basic research
      • Microbe-centered disciplines: bacteriology (bacteria and archaea), phycology (algae), mycology (fungi), protozoology (protozoa), parasitology (parasitic protozoa and animals), virology (viruses).
    • Process-centered disciplines: microbial metabolism (biochemistry), microbial genetics, environmental microbiology (relationships between microbes and other organisms and their environment).

    Microbe Functions

    • Digestion: animals have microbes in their digestive tracts for digestion, vitamin synthesis, and overall health.
      • cellulose digestion (e.g. in termites)
      • Vitamin K and B synthesis.
    • Photosynthesis: algae and some bacteria capture energy from sunlight and convert it to food.
    • Decomposers: break down dead and decaying matter, and recycle nutrients.
    • Nitrogen Fixation: bacteria take nitrogen from air and incorporate it into the soil.

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    Description

    This quiz covers the fundamentals of microbiology, including the types of microorganisms and their significance in various fields. Learn about influential figures such as Anton van Leeuwenhoek and the scientific methods applied in microbiology. Test your knowledge of the history and applications of these tiny organisms.

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