Microbiology: Chapter 1 - The Main Themes of Microbiology

Microbes have been recently associated with which of the following diseases that were once considered noninfectious?

- Gastric ulcers - Cancer - Multiple sclerosis - Diabetes

Levels in hierarchy of classification from most general to least general:

- Kingdom - Class - Family - Genus - Species

Microbes that exist within the and beneath the earth's crust have a significant influence on:

- Soil formation - Weathering - Mineral extraction

The Scientific Method:

1.) A phenomenon is observed in the natural world. 2.) The scientist develops an explanation known as a hypothesis. 3.) An experiment is conducted to test the hypothesis. 4.) Analysis leads to either rejection or support of hypothesis.

What is a helminth?

A parasitic worm.

_____ are prokaryotic single-celled organisms of primitive origin that are capable of living in extreme or very harsh environments and are classified in their own domain of life.

Archaea

What is classification?

Arranging organisms into a hierarchy.

What is nomenclature?

Assigning names to organisms.

Typical bacteria, such as Bacillus and Streptococcus, belong to which domain?

Bacteria

Which microbe(s) would NOT have a true nucleus?

Bacteria - Bacteria are prokaryotic and lack a true nucleus.

The _____ theory of disease, first proposed in the 1800s, stated that microorganisms could cause infection and illness.

Germ

Taxonomy involves _____ and _____ living things.

Naming, Classifying

What is the role of small RNAs?

Regulate cell activities.

The discovery of "molecular scissors" called _____ _____ has led to great advances in the field of genetic engineering by allowing microbiologists to isolate specific pieces of DNA to transfer into other cells.

Restriction enzymes

The analysis of _____ RNA, which is highly conserved among organisms, is a valuable indicator of evolutionary relatedness.

Ribosomal

What is true regarding scientific names?

Scientific names are italicized in printed documents.

Which scientist established a connection between infections in the maternity ward and physicians with unwashed hands coming directly from autopsies?

Semmelweis

Which two physicians recognized that humans could transfer infection to each other, leading Joseph Lister to develop his aseptic techniques?

Semmelweis and Holmes

What is studied by immunologists?

The body's defense against infection.

In the _____ system of nomenclature, organisms are assigned and identified by a two-word name representing the genus and species names.

Binomial

True or false: A virus is a cellular agent that possesses membrane-bound organelles.

False

Tuberculosis is an older disease but its prevalence has been increasing in recent years; therefore, this disease is sometimes referred to as a(n) _____ disease.

Reemerging

True or false: Lister first promoted the use of disinfecting agents prior to surgery.

True

When not present in a host, an individual virus is referred to as a _____, or virus particle.

Virion

A _____ is a pathogen that uses an infected host cell's genetic and metabolic machinery for reproduction and assembly.

Virus

A(n) _____ is a microscopic agent, which is not cellular (acellular) and is composed of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat.

Virus

What are the three domains of the Woese-Fox system of classification?

- Archaea - Eukarya - Bacteria

Which of the following domains include only single-celled organisms? - Archaea - Bacteria - Eukarya

- Archaea: Single-celled prokaryotes. - Bacteria: Single-celled prokaryotes.

Which type(s) of microorganisms have cells that do NOT contain organelles?

- Bacteria - Archaea Bacteria and Archaea are prokaryotic and lack organelles.

The six major groups of microorganisms:

- Bacteria - Helminths - Protozoa - Fungi - Algae - Viruses

Contributions of Robert Koch:

- Established postulates to verify the germ theory of disease. - Confirmed the bacterial cause of anthrax. - Developed numerous lab techniques.

What are the five kingdoms in the Whittaker system of classification?

- Fungi - Animalia - Monera - Protista - Plantae

Current trends in infectious disease include:

- The recognition of their subtle role in other diseases. - An increased number of drug-resistant pathogens. - An increasing number of immunocompromised patients that are susceptible to infectious disease.

Which microbe(s) lack a true nucleus? - Virus - Bacteria - Protozoan - Algae - Yeast

- Virus - Bacteria

What is a virion?

A virus particle that is not inside of a host cell.

Which microbe(s) lack a true nucleus?

Bacteria and Virus

All _____ are microorganisms, but not all _____ are microorganisms.

Bacteria; eukaryotes

The ability of microorganisms to exist in associations called _____ may be responsible for infections that are difficult to treat and the success of foreign implants in to the body, such as heart valve replacements.

Biofilms

Using microorganisms to degrade garbage in landfills or treat sewage are example of _____.

Bioremediation

_____ is the specific process by which microbes carry out the decomposition of harmful chemicals.

Bioremediation

Designing organisms in the industrial setting that can provide human products through genetic engineering or clean up environmental waste through bioremediation is part of the subdiscipline of microbiology referred to as _____.

Biotechnology

_____ is the breakdown of dead matter and wastes into simple compounds that can be directed back into the natural cycle of living things.

Decomposition

_____ reasoning involves the application of a general principle, whereas _____ reasoning involves the creation of a general principle.

Deductive; inductive

A(n) _____ infectious disease, such as SARS or viral encephalitis, is a newly identified infectious disease that is becoming more prominent.

Emerging

_____ is a specific area of scientific study which focuses on the analysis of factors affecting the prevalence and spread of disease within a community.

Epidemiology

For the organism Escherichia coli, what is the genus name?

Escherichia

Which cell type is generally larger in size? - Eukaryotic cells - Bacterial cells

Eukaryotic cells

True or false: Viruses are not included in the major groups of microbes because they are nonliving agents.

False

True or false: A sterile environment is free of actively growing cells and microorganisms, but may contain viruses or dormant life forms such as endospores.

False: A sterile environment is completely free of all life forms, including spores and viruses.

True or false: Viruses are considered living organisms and are classified under the Woese system as members of the domain of Archaea.

False: Viruses are nonliving agents as they require a host cell to complete their life cycle; thus, they cannot be classified under and classification system.

The deliberate manipulation of organisms by transferring genetic material from one organism to another is known as _____ _____ technology.

Genetic engineering

What technology involves the deliberate modification of the genetic structure of an organism to create novel products?

Genetic engineering

As indicated in their names, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis are different species with in the same _____.

Genus

For the organism Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus represents the _____ level of classification.

Genus

Organisms that harbor and nourish parasites are referred to as:

Hosts

Which term best describes a disease caused by a microorganism? - Communicable - Nosocomial - Infectious

Infectious

All members of a family are classified in the same _____.

Kingdom

All members of the same phylum must also be members of the same _____.

Kingdom

Which is the most inclusive (in regards to the number of different microorganisms) level of classification in the Whittaker system?

Kingdom

_____ _____ developed methods of making dairy products safer and the formation of beer and wine using microbes.

Louis Pasteur

Organisms that are only visible with the aid of a microscope are referred to as _____.

Microorganisms

The germ theory of disease stated that:

Microorganisms could cause infection and disease.

The development of the _____ established the science of microbiology by providing a means by which microorganisms could be viewed.

Microscope

In the 1600s, van Leeuwenhoek developed a large collection of single-lens _____.

Microscopes

In the Whittaker system, all prokaryotes belong in the Kingdom _____.

Monera

The Kingdom _____ was reclassified under the Woese-Fox system into two separate domains: Bacteria and Archaea.

Monera

The principle of evolution states that living things change gradually over time through:

Natural selection

_____ is the term applied to the method of assigning a scientific or specific name to an organism, whereas taxonomy involves the organization of these named organisms.

Nomenclature

What is true regarding all prokaryotes?

All lack a nucleus.

What is the role of PCR?

Amplify DNA by making multiple copies for study.

_____ is the area of taxonomy that involves grouping similar organisms into a hierarchy of taxonomic categories.

Classification

Which two scientists provided evidence about microbial heat-resistance and the presence of endospores?

Cohn and Tyndall

What is a possible outcome of biofilm formation?

Colonization of body tissues and establishments of infection.

A(n) _____ is any small, membrane-bound component found inside of an eukaryotic cell.

Organelle

Small, membrane-bound components found inside of a eukaryotic cell, such as mitochondria and lysosomes, are referred to as:

Organelles

The evolution of _____ photosynthesis in microorganisms generated an oxygenated atmosphere over time.

Oxygenic

A(n) _____ derives benefits from its host and harms its host in the process.

Parasite

A(n) _____ is the term used to refer to any disease-causing microorganism.

Pathogen

What process uses the sun's energy to produce organic compounds and ATP from carbon dioxide and water?

Photosynthesis

The _____ _____ reaction allows us to amplify tiny amounts of DNA, creating a powerful tool for diagnosis, forensics, and microbial investigation.

Polymerase chain

Which cell type appeared 3.5 billion years ago, long before more complex cells and organisms?

Prokaryotes

Algae and protists are both members of Whittaker's Kingdom _____.

Protista

Which microbe(s) have a true nucleus?

Protists and Yeast

What is biotechnology?

The use of microbes or their products for commercial or industrial purposes.

What is meant when microorganisms are described as "ubiquitous"?

They are everywhere.