Microbiology Exam 1 Flashcards (Chapters 1, 3-5)

Questions and Answers

What is Microbiology?

The study of mammals

The classification of plants

Specialized area of biology that deals with organisms ordinarily too small to be seen without magnification (correct)

The study of cells

What are microorganisms?

A living thing ordinarily too small to be seen without magnification.

What is classification?

Orderly arrangement of organisms into groups.

What is nomenclature?

System of assigning names. Signup and view all the answers

What is binomial nomenclature?

Two-name system of naming organisms. Signup and view all the answers

What are acellular organisms?

Viruses. Signup and view all the answers

What are cellular organisms?

Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. Signup and view all the answers

What defines prokaryotes?

Organisms whose genetic material is not enclosed in a membrane. Signup and view all the answers

What defines eukaryotes?

Organisms whose genetic material is enclosed in a nucleus. Signup and view all the answers

What is binary fission?

The way bacteria reproduce by splitting into two equal parts. Signup and view all the answers

What is mycology?

The study of fungi. Signup and view all the answers

What is phycology?

The study of simple photosynthetic eukaryotes. Signup and view all the answers

What is a pathogen?

Disease causing agents. Signup and view all the answers

What is genetic engineering?

Manipulates the genetics of microbes, plants, and animals. Signup and view all the answers

What is recombinant DNA?

DNA switched from one organism to another to design new organisms. Signup and view all the answers

What are lactic acid bacteria used for?

Dairy products, yogurt, and cheese. Signup and view all the answers

What are curds?

Solid chunks of day old milk used in cheese. Signup and view all the answers

What is whey?

Liquid part of day old milk, mostly water. Signup and view all the answers

What does rennin do?

Turns caseinogens to casein. Signup and view all the answers

What is curdling?

Products cause milk to separate into curds. Signup and view all the answers

What is the scientific method?

Approach taken by scientists to explain a certain natural phenomenon. Signup and view all the answers

What is a hypothesis?

A tentative explanation or statement to account for what is observed. Signup and view all the answers

What is a theory?

Hypothesis backed by growing data. Signup and view all the answers

What is spontaneous generation?

Life can rise from nonliving material. Signup and view all the answers

What is cell theory?

All things are made of cells. Signup and view all the answers

What is biogenesis?

The production of living organisms from other living organisms. Signup and view all the answers

What general metabolic process used by microbes aids in food production?

Fermentation. Signup and view all the answers

What is pasteurization?

To kill organisms by heat. Signup and view all the answers

What is the germ theory of disease?

Theory that microbes can invade other organisms and cause diseases. Signup and view all the answers

What are Koch's postulates?

Set of procedures to determine if a microbe causes a certain disease. Signup and view all the answers

What is aseptic technique?

Aimed at reducing microbes in a medical setting. Signup and view all the answers

What is chemotherapy?

Treatment of disease by the use of chemical substances. Signup and view all the answers

What are synthetic drugs?

Chemical substances made in a lab. Signup and view all the answers

What are antibiotics?

Chemical substances made by microbes. Signup and view all the answers

What is the general size of macroscopic organisms?

1 mm. Signup and view all the answers

What is the size range of microscopic organisms?

1 um to 100 um. Signup and view all the answers

What is the size of viruses?

10 nm to 100 nm. Signup and view all the answers

What are the 3 domains used in the Woese-Fox system of classification?

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya. Signup and view all the answers

Which domain are fungi members of?

Eukarya. Signup and view all the answers

Which domain do Protozoa belong to?

Eukarya. Signup and view all the answers

Which domain are Algae in?

Eukarya. Signup and view all the answers

Which domain does E. coli belong to?

Bacteria. Signup and view all the answers

Which domain do viruses belong to?

Neither. Signup and view all the answers

What are bacteria?

Prokaryote and all are microbes. Signup and view all the answers

What defines algae?

Unicellular or multicellular and undergo photosynthesis. Signup and view all the answers

What defines fungi?

Some are unicellular, while others are multicellular. Signup and view all the answers

What are protozoa?

Unicellular organisms that can reproduce sexually and asexually. Signup and view all the answers

Name 3 cellular structures protozoa use for locomotion.

Pseudopods, flagella, cilia. Signup and view all the answers

What are the beneficial roles of microorganisms?

Part of food chain, produce vitamins, help digestion. Signup and view all the answers

How do microbes affect the world?

Found everywhere, part of the ecosystem. Signup and view all the answers

What is morphology?

Study of detailed structure of microorganisms. Signup and view all the answers

What is physiology in microbiology?

Study of microbial function. Signup and view all the answers

What is taxonomy?

Classification/naming/identification. Signup and view all the answers

What is bacteriology?

Study of bacteria. Signup and view all the answers

What is microbial ecology?

Study of the relationship between microbes and the environment. Signup and view all the answers

What is a culture?

Observable growth that appears in or on the medium. Signup and view all the answers

What is isolation in microbiology?

Separate individual microbes and achieve isolated colonies. Signup and view all the answers

What is incubation?

The medium is placed in a temperature-controlled chamber. Signup and view all the answers

What is inspection in microbiology?

Colonies/broth observed macroscopically for growth characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

What is identification in microbiology?

Determine the type of microbe. Signup and view all the answers

What is inoculum?

Sample. Signup and view all the answers

What is liquefiable growth media?

Changes physical properties depending on temperature. Signup and view all the answers

What is nonliquefiable media?

Does not melt. Signup and view all the answers

What is agar?

Growth medium that is flexible, holds nutrients. Signup and view all the answers

What is synthetic/defined growth media?

All chemicals known. Signup and view all the answers

What is complex growth media?

Exact chemical makeup unknown. Signup and view all the answers

What is general purpose growth media?

Broad spectrum, usually nonsynthetic/complex. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Microbiology Overview

Microbiology studies organisms too small to be seen without magnification, focusing on microorganisms.
Microorganisms include bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, and protozoa.

Classification and Nomenclature

Classification involves the orderly arrangement of organisms into groups.
Nomenclature assigns names to organisms, following the binomial system (Genus and species, italicized).
Genus names are capitalized, while species names are not.

Cell Types

Acellular organisms (e.g., viruses) lack cellular structure.
Cellular organisms are categorized into prokaryotes (no enclosed nucleus) and eukaryotes (nucleus present).

Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes

Prokaryotic cells are smaller and lack organelles, while eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus and specialized organelles.
Prokaryotes include all bacteria; some eukaryotes (like molds and yeast) are also microbes.

Reproduction and Growth

Binary fission is the reproduction method for bacteria, splitting a parent cell into two.
Culturing involves inoculation, incubation, isolation, inspection, and identification of microbes.

Microbial Studies

Mycology: study of fungi.
Phycology: study of algae.
Protozoology: study of protozoa.
Virology: study of viruses.

Pathogens and Disease

Pathogens are agents of disease; the germ theory of disease suggests microbes cause illness.
Koch's postulates establish criteria for linking specific microbes to diseases.

Fermentation and Food Production

Fermentation is the metabolic process converting sugars to acids or alcohols, essential in food production (e.g., yogurt, cheese).
Lactic acid bacteria play a significant role in dairy fermentation, producing distinct flavors.

Pasteurization and Food Safety

Pasteurization kills most microorganisms in food through heat but may not eliminate all spoilage organisms.
Aseptic techniques reduce microbial presence in clinical settings to prevent infections.

Microbial Ecology and Beneficial Roles

Microbes contribute to nutrient cycling, ecosystem dynamics, and human health (normal flora).
They aid in digestion, produce oxygen, and serve as sources of antibiotics and vaccines.

Key Figures in Microbiology

Hooke: Coined "cell."
Pasteur: Developed aseptic techniques; contributed to germ theory and vaccines.
Jenner: Created vaccination for smallpox.
Fleming: Discovered penicillin.

Major Theories of Life Emergence

Cell theory states all living things are composed of cells.
Biogenesis refers to life arising from existing life.
Spontaneous generation suggests life can arise from nonliving matter.

Microbial Size and Classification

Macroscopic organisms are approximately 1 mm or larger.
Microscopic organisms measure 1 µm to 100 µm, while viruses range from 10 nm to 100 nm.
Woese-Fox classification divides life into three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Fungi, protozoa, and algae fall under Eukarya.

Microbial Culture Techniques

Media include liquefiable (e.g., agar) and non-liquefiable media (e.g., potato slices).
Growth media can be synthetic (chemicals known) or complex (exact chemical makeup unknown).
General-purpose media supports the growth of a broad range of microorganisms.

Modern Applications and Challenges

Genetic engineering manipulates microbial genetics for new products; recombinant DNA technology creates modified organisms.
Antibiotic resistance poses challenges in chemotherapy, which uses chemical substances to treat diseases.

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Description

Prepare for your Microbiology Exam 1 with these flashcards covering essential concepts from Chapters 1, 3-5. Learn definitions and key terms related to microbiology and microorganisms that are vital for your understanding of the subject.