General Microbiology Overview

A pathogen that can infect animals, insects, and humans.

A source of a pathogen.

A person who harbors a pathogen without showing symptoms.

Illness spread by a vector, such as a mosquito bite

Pathogens enter the body through the respiratory system (lungs).

Infants and the elderly are more vulnerable to diseases due to their undeveloped or weakened immune systems.

Age, genetics, lifestyle (smoking, alcohol), and pre-existing diseases influence how easily a host gets sick.

Behaviors and occupations (e.g., healthcare, agriculture) can increase exposure to pathogens.

Human activity (deforestation, population growth) creates new chances for pathogens to spread to humans.

Changes in climate influence where humans and animals live, potentially exposing people to new diseases through vectors.

Large molecules in microbes that determine their structure and functions, also recognized by the immune system.

Prokaryotes lack a nucleus, while eukaryotes have a membrane-bound nucleus and other organelles.

Viruses cannot replicate on their own; they need a host cell to reproduce.

Spread of a pathogen through inanimate objects (fomites), like sharing food or touching a surface after coughing.

Transmission of a pathogen from one generation to the next through a vehicle (e.g., insect offspring inheriting a pathogen from their parent).

A method of disease transmission where a pathogen is carried by an insect and then transferred to another animal or human.

Spread of a pathogen through direct contact with an infected individual or by aerosolization (e.g., sneezing).

A pathogen's ability to survive outside of a host for a longer period, increasing its chance of transmission; this promotes disease spread.

This level of protein structure is formed when multiple polypeptide chains (subunits) come together.

A strong covalent bond formed between two sulfur atoms within a protein.

A weak bond formed between oppositely charged amino acid side chains within a protein.

Long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms that are a primary component of lipids. They serve as an energy source and building blocks for cell membranes.

Lipid molecules that form the basis of cell membranes. They have a hydrophilic head (attracted to water) and hydrophobic tails (repelled by water).

A microbe that requires oxygen to survive and cannot grow without it.

A microbe that can grow with or without oxygen, but prefers the presence of oxygen for more efficient energy production.

A microbe that only requires a small amount of oxygen to survive and can be harmed by high oxygen concentrations.

A microbe that cannot survive in the presence of oxygen and is harmed by it.

A complex community of microbes that adhere to a surface and produce a sticky, slimy layer called an exopolysaccharide matrix.

The protective, slimy layer produced by biofilms that helps the community survive and thrive.

A biofilm is a community of microbes with an exopolysaccharide matrix, while a capsule is a protective layer surrounding a single cell.

Biofilms provide protection against antibiotics, immune responses, and other environmental stressors.

Biofilms allow microbes to share resources, metabolic products, and information, enhancing survival and growth.

A process where bacteria communicate with each other using signaling molecules to coordinate behavior, including biofilm formation. The higher the cell density, the more signals are produced.

A process where bacteria create a highly resistant, dormant structure to survive harsh environmental conditions.

Limited nutrients and stressful environmental conditions, such as high temperatures, trigger endospore formation.

Biofilms provide a protective barrier that makes bacteria more resistant to antibiotics and the immune system, leading to chronic infections.

Endospores allow pathogenic bacteria to survive in the environment and infect a host when conditions are favorable, making them difficult to eradicate.

ATP is the primary energy carrier used by microbes for all cellular processes, including growth and reproduction.

Microbes can obtain energy from sunlight (phototrophs), organic compounds (chemotrophs), or inorganic compounds (lithotrophs).

Besides ATP, microbes can also use other energy carriers like NADH and FADH2, which are involved in electron transport and energy production.

Energy carriers like ATP, NADH, and FADH2 are used to drive metabolic reactions, biosynthesis, and other essential processes for microbial growth.