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Questions and Answers
What is the correct way to write the scientific name of a microorganism?
What is the correct way to write the scientific name of a microorganism?
Which shape is not commonly used to classify bacteria?
Which shape is not commonly used to classify bacteria?
What term describes bacteria that vary in their shape?
What term describes bacteria that vary in their shape?
How do most prokaryotes reproduce?
How do most prokaryotes reproduce?
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Members of the genus Staphylococcus typically form what structure during division?
Members of the genus Staphylococcus typically form what structure during division?
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What is the total number of points an undergraduate student can achieve in the course?
What is the total number of points an undergraduate student can achieve in the course?
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Which grading percentage corresponds to a letter grade of C?
Which grading percentage corresponds to a letter grade of C?
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How many term tests are scheduled for undergraduate students?
How many term tests are scheduled for undergraduate students?
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What is included in the final exam besides comprehensive questions?
What is included in the final exam besides comprehensive questions?
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Which of the following is not one of the three main sections of the course material?
Which of the following is not one of the three main sections of the course material?
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When is the final exam scheduled for undergraduate students?
When is the final exam scheduled for undergraduate students?
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What format can be expected for the quizzes and tests in the course?
What format can be expected for the quizzes and tests in the course?
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What is the term for an infectious disease that has become more common in recent decades?
What is the term for an infectious disease that has become more common in recent decades?
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Which of the following was a new or newly recognized infectious disease listed?
Which of the following was a new or newly recognized infectious disease listed?
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What has contributed to the dramatic decrease in the death rate from infectious diseases over the last century?
What has contributed to the dramatic decrease in the death rate from infectious diseases over the last century?
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What notable global challenge remains concerning infectious diseases?
What notable global challenge remains concerning infectious diseases?
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Which infectious disease is associated with the Zika virus?
Which infectious disease is associated with the Zika virus?
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What factor is NOT listed as a reason for emerging infectious diseases?
What factor is NOT listed as a reason for emerging infectious diseases?
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How many pigs in China were affected by African swine fever recently?
How many pigs in China were affected by African swine fever recently?
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What was the global death toll from SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) during the specified years?
What was the global death toll from SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) during the specified years?
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Which of the following diseases has seen an increase in incidence recently despite being long-established?
Which of the following diseases has seen an increase in incidence recently despite being long-established?
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What is the overall financial impact of infectious diseases in the USA each year?
What is the overall financial impact of infectious diseases in the USA each year?
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What is the primary reason microorganisms are considered crucial for life?
What is the primary reason microorganisms are considered crucial for life?
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Which term refers to the collective genetic content of microbial communities?
Which term refers to the collective genetic content of microbial communities?
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What is the estimated ratio of microbial cells to human cells in the human body according to recent studies?
What is the estimated ratio of microbial cells to human cells in the human body according to recent studies?
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What is one key role of normal microbiota in the human body?
What is one key role of normal microbiota in the human body?
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Which of the following is a process by which microorganisms convert atmospheric nitrogen for other organisms' use?
Which of the following is a process by which microorganisms convert atmospheric nitrogen for other organisms' use?
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What is a consequence of disturbances in the microbial population on body surfaces?
What is a consequence of disturbances in the microbial population on body surfaces?
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When did the Human Microbiome Project begin?
When did the Human Microbiome Project begin?
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Which of the following is NOT a role of normal microbiota?
Which of the following is NOT a role of normal microbiota?
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Which characteristic of microorganisms allows them to rapidly adapt and evolve?
Which characteristic of microorganisms allows them to rapidly adapt and evolve?
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Which product is NOT associated with food production from microbes?
Which product is NOT associated with food production from microbes?
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Which of the following materials can microbes be used to bioremediate?
Which of the following materials can microbes be used to bioremediate?
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What is a primary advantage of using microbes as model organisms in research?
What is a primary advantage of using microbes as model organisms in research?
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Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the majority of microbes?
Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the majority of microbes?
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During which outbreak were millions killed by a virus, leading to modern vaccination efforts?
During which outbreak were millions killed by a virus, leading to modern vaccination efforts?
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What is the role of biotechnology in relation to microbes?
What is the role of biotechnology in relation to microbes?
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What allows bacteria to quickly yield research results?
What allows bacteria to quickly yield research results?
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What significant historical event involved the death of more Americans than several wars combined?
What significant historical event involved the death of more Americans than several wars combined?
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Which of the following conditions contributed to a widespread killing of livestock in England in 2001?
Which of the following conditions contributed to a widespread killing of livestock in England in 2001?
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Which of the following is NOT a product synthesized by microbes?
Which of the following is NOT a product synthesized by microbes?
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Study Notes
Course Information
- Course: Medical Microbiology MICR433/533
- Semester: Spring 2025
- Classroom: SDS 100
- Class Time: 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
- Instructor: Radhey Kaushik
- Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
- Office Location: McFadden Biostress Building-SNP 252B
- Phone: 605-688-5501
- Email: [email protected]
- Course URL: https://d2l.sdbor.edu/
- Textbook: Nester's Microbiology: A Human Perspective by Anderson, Salm, and Beins; 10th edition, 2022
Grading Scheme (Undergraduate)
- Term Tests (3): 40 points each = 120 points total
- Final Exam: 80 points
- Quizzes, Assignments, In-Class Activities: 50 points total
- Total Points Possible: 250 points
- Grade Conversion: Final course grade will be out of 250 points and converted to 100%
- Graduate Students: 50 points additional essay assignment, totaling 300 points
Grading Standards
- A: 89.6% – 100%
- B: 79.6% – 89.5%
- C: 69.6% – 79.5%
- D: 55% – 69.5%
- F: Below 55%
Exam Schedule
- Term Tests: Monday, Feb 3rd; Friday, Feb 28th; Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025 (each test is 40 points)
- Final Exam: Monday, May 5th, 2025, 9:15 AM – 11:15 AM (covers material since the 3rd exam (~55-65 points) plus comprehensive questions from earlier material (~15-25 points))
Tests and Exams
- Format: Written tests may be a combination of essay, case study, short answer, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, true/false, etc.
- Administration: Quizzes, term tests, and final exams are administered during scheduled class time/final exam time
Course Format
-
Sections: The course material is divided into 3 sections:
- Review of basic concepts in microbiology
- Review of host responses to infection
- System-by-system study of infectious diseases
Microbiology and Microorganisms
- Microbiology: The study of the microbial world
- Microorganisms/Microbes: Existed for several billion years; all higher life forms evolved from microscopic forms; required for all organism survival
Microbiology and Microorganisms (Microbes)
- Characteristics: Can change their properties, are capable of rapid adaptation/evolution due to their rapid and short generation time and relatively simple genome; are very biodiverse; are both beneficial and harmful
The Human Microbiome
- Population: Skin and mucosa are populated with normal microbiota or normal flora
- Ratio: Many sources state there are 10 times as many microbial cells as human cells, but more accurate estimates suggest a closer ratio of 3:1 to 1:1
The Human Microbiome Project
- Started: 2007
- Methods: Used DNA sequencing technologies to characterize microbial communities inhabiting the human body
-
Definitions: The term "microbiome" has two overlapping meanings:
- The total genetic content of a microbial community
- The microbial community itself
Human Microbiome Roles
- Essential Roles: Preventing disease by competing with pathogens; aiding in food degradation; promoting immune system development; influencing allergies, asthma, and other diseases; affecting brain chemistry, behavior, and weight gain.
- Disturbances: Can create imbalances, causing harm to a person's health
Microorganisms in the Environment
- Recycling Masters: Microorganisms are the masters of recycling
- Oxygen Production: Various photosynthetic microorganisms produce oxygen
- Nitrogen Recycling: They recycle and use atmospheric nitrogen, converting it into a form other organisms can use (nitrogen fixation)
Microorganisms in the Environment (continued)
- Material Degradation: Microorganisms degrade materials that other organisms cannot
- External Degradation: Examples include cellulose degradation in plants (leaves, fallen trees) used for sewage and waste-water treatment
- Internal Degradation: Examples include cellulose degradation in the digestive tracts of animals (cattle, sheep, deer)
Commercial Benefits of Microbes
- Food Production: Bread, beer, fermented drinks, yogurt, buttermilk, cheese, probiotics
- Bioremediation: Using microbes to degrade toxic materials and environmental pollutants (sewage and wastewater treatment, petroleum, PCBs, DDT, trichloroethylene, oil spills, radioisotopes)
Commercial Benefits of Microbes (continued)
- Commercial Products Synthesis: Cellulose, amino acids, hydroxybutyric acid, hydrogen gas, ethanol, oils, insect toxins, and antibiotics
- Biotechnology: Using microbiological and biochemical techniques to solve problems (medically important products like insulin, recombinant proteins, vaccines, resistant plants, and gene therapy)
Microbes as Research Tools
- Model Organisms: Microorganisms are great model organisms for studying metabolic and genetic properties
- Cellular Similarities: All cells are composed of similar chemical elements and synthesize their structures using similar mechanisms
- Ease of Study: Bacterial study is often easier and faster than studying other complex organisms; Bacteria grow rapidly in inexpensive media.
Microbes and Disease
- Beneficial Microbes: Most microbes are beneficial (~87%) and are not harmful
- Disease Causing Microbes: A small minority (~3%) of microbes cause disease (pathogens); 10% are opportunistic microbes.
- Medical Microbiology Focus: The study of disease-causing microbes (pathogens)—viruses, bacteria, prions, fungi, and protozoa
Microbes causing Illness (continued)
- Historical Impacts: Infectious diseases have impacted humans, animals, plants, and microbes for many years; More people died from influenza in 1918–19 than from WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Iraq Wars combined
- Past Examples of Disease Impact: Smallpox virus killed millions; Plague (1347-1351) killed 25 million; Foot and mouth disease outbreak in England (2001) implicated deaths of 4 million animals; African swine fever impacting pig populations recently
Microbes and Disease (continued)
- Modern Control Measures: Modern sanitation, vaccination, quarantine methods, and the effective use of antibiotics has significantly reduced infectious disease incidence
- Continued Challenges: The death rate from infectious diseases has decreased over time, but infectious diseases remain common, especially in developing countries
Remaining Major Challenges
- Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs): Infectious diseases that have emerged in recent decades (COVID-19; Ebola; congenital Zika syndrome; severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS); Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS); Hepatitis C; certain influenza types; Lyme disease; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); Hanta virus pulmonary syndrome; Mad-cow disease )
- More Common Existing Diseases: Long-established diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis have become more common in recent times.
"New" and Newly Recognized Infectious Diseases in Humans & Animals
- Geographic Variations of Disease: Infectious diseases impact human populations globally, with different countries and geographical regions being associated with different infections
Reasons for Emerging or Re-emerging Infectious Diseases
- Pathogen Adaptability: Pathogenicity changes (e.g. HIV, COVID-19); virulence changes (E. coli O104:H4)
- Changing Lifestyle Factors: Changing lifestyles provide opportunities for infectious agents to spread (e.g. hantavirus pulmonary syndrome)
- Antibiotic Resistance: Resistance to antibiotics or antimicrobial medications (e.g. tuberculosis, malaria)
- Vaccination Gaps: Deficiency in childhood vaccinations (measles)
- Elderly Population Susceptibility: Elderly people are more susceptible to variety of infections
- Immunity Deficiencies: Immunocompromised individuals susceptible to various infections (e.g. tuberculosis).
Chronic Diseases Caused by Bacteria/Viruses
- Peptic Ulcers/Indigestion: Bacteria Helicobacter pylori discovered to be a recent cause of chronic indigestion
- Cervical Cancer: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a cause of cervical cancer
- Chronic Diseases: Infectious microbes have important roles across various chronic illnesses
Microbial World Classifications
- Domains: All living microorganisms are classified into three main groups/domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eucarya
- Prokaryotes: Members of bacteria and Archaea are known as prokaryotes (lack a true nucleus)
The Bacteria
- Characteristics: Single-celled prokaryotes; lack a true nucleus and intracellular lipid-bound organelles; genetic information stored in the nucleoid region; commonly spherical, cylindrical, or spiral; have rigid cell walls containing peptidoglycan; multiply via binary fission; may have appendages (flagella) for motion/pathogenicity
The Archaea
- Similarities to Bacteria: Single-celled prokaryotes, similar shapes and sizes, have cell walls, use flagella for movement, and multiply by binary fission
- Differences: Do not contain peptidoglycan in their cell walls
- Extreme Environments: Tend to thrive in extreme environments (e.g. high salt, high temperatures, extreme cold)
The Eucarya
- Eukaryotes: Members of the Eucarya domain
- Characteristics: May be single-celled or multicellular; always contain a well-defined membrane-bound nucleus; contain internal cell organelles (mitochondria, chloroplasts); internal scaffolding (cytoskeleton) giving the cell shape; are more complex than prokaryotes
- Examples: Algae, fungi, protozoa, and multicellular parasites (helminths)
Scientific Names of Microbes
- Binomial System: Used to name microbes
- Genus and Species: First word is the genus (capitalized), second word is the species (not capitalized)
- Italics: Both words are italicized
- Abbreviations: First word usually abbreviated with first letter capitalized (e.g., E. coli)
- Strain: Members of the same species can have subtle differences, and strains are further designated (e.g., E. coli strain B or E. coli strain K12).
- Informal Naming: Informal names for groups often resemble genus names but are not italicized
Morphology of Bacteria
- Shape Diversity: Bacteria display various shapes (cocci, bacilli, vibrio, spirilla, spirochetes, pleomorphic) which are significant in classification and identification
- Common Shapes: Coccus (spherical); bacillus (rod-shaped); vibrio (short curved rod); spirilla (curved rod long enough to form spirals); spirochetes (long spiral-shaped cells with flexible cell walls); pleomorphic (bacteria with diverse shapes)
Grouping of Bacteria - Colony Structure
- Colony Structure: The colony structure is related to how bacteria divide
- Shape and Types: Bacteria can divide in different planes resulting in diverse forms (chains, packets, clusters)
- Identification Guidance: The shape of the colony structure helps with identifying bacteria
Acellular Infectious Agents
- Composition: Viruses, viroids, and prions are acellular; meaning they are not composed of cells
- Life Status: Viruses, viroids, and prions cannot reproduce independently and thus are considered non-living
-
Specific Classifications:
- Viruses: Consist of a protein coat surrounding a nucleic acid (RNA or DNA); capable of only multiplying within a living host cell.
- Viroids: Consist only of RNA; Cause plant diseases; much smaller than viruses
- Prions: Consist only of protein with no nucleic acid; cause neurodegenerative diseases
Acellular Infectious Agents (Table 1.4)
- Summarized characteristics of viruses, viroids, and prions (e.g., composition, replication)
Next Lecture Topics
- Cells and Observation Techniques: Chapter 3, focusing on selected topics relating to cell structure, observation methods, and related systems.
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Description
Explore the key details of the Medical Microbiology course MICR433/533 for Spring 2025. This includes important information about grading schemes, exams, and resources for success in the class. Stay informed about the expectations and structure of the course as outlined by the instructor.
