Microbiology Chapter 1 Vocab

Eucaryotes (Eukaryotes)

A cell that differs from a prokaryotic cell chiefly by having a nuclear membrane and membrane bound organelles.

Genetic Engineering

A field involving deliberate alterations (recombinations) of the genomes of microbes, plants, and animals through special technological processes.

Protozoa

A group of typically single celled, eukaryotic organisms. Obtain nourishment by absorption or ingestion through specialized structures.

Photosynthesis

A process occurring in plants, algae, and some bacteria that traps the sun's energ and converts it to ATP in the cell. This energy is used to fix CO2 into organic compounds.

Nomenclature

A set system for scientifically naming organisms, enzymes, anatomical structures, etc.

Recombinant DNA

A technology, also known as genetic engineering, that deliberately modifies the genetic structure of an organism to create novel products, microbes, animals, plants, and viruses.

Germ Theory of Disease

A theory first originating in the 1800s which proposed that microorganisms can be the cause of disease. The concept is actually so well established in the present time that it is considered fact.

Cell Theory

All living things are composed of cells. Determined by Robert Hooke and used for further investigations

Pathogen

Any agent, usually a virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or helminth, that causes disease.

Biogenesis

Belief that living things can only arise from preexisting living cells

Bacteria

Category of prokaryotes with peptidoglycan in their cell walls and a single, circular chromosome, and widely distributed in the earth's habitats.

Synthetic Drugs

Chemotherapy agent prepared in the laboratory

Antibiotics

Chemotherapy agent produced naturally by bacteria and fungi to prevent growth or other organisms

Spontaneous Generation

Early belief that living things arose from vital forces present in nonliving or decomposing matter. Introduced by Aristotle

Pasteurization

Heating process used to kill bacteria in some alcoholic beverages and milk

Domain

In levels of classification, the broadest general category to which an organism is assigned. Members of a domain share only one or a few general characteristics.

Microorganism

Living things too small to be seen with the unaided eye. These are important because they maintain the earth's ecological balance

Fungi

Multicelluar eukaryotic organism which may take different forms. Obtain nutrients by absorbing material from their environment.

Eubacteria

Non-archaea prokaryotes...true bacteria.

Viruses

Noncellular entities composed of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat.

Eukarya

One of the three domains of living organisms that contains all eukaryotic organisms.

Louis Pasteur

Person to resolve the issue of spontaneous generation. With a series of experiments , he demonstrated that microorganisms are present in the air and can contaminate solutions, but the air does not create microorganisms. Also showed that microorganisms can be present in nonliving matter and can be destroyed by heat

Carl Woese

Person who developed a system of classification based on the cellular organization of organisms. 1) Bacteria 2) Archaea 3) Eukarya

Christian Gram

Person who developed the Gram - stain technique, which differentiates between microbes by changing the color

John Needham

Person who did believe in spontaneous generation and wanted to prove it. Heated broth and poured them into flasks, finding microorganisms in both.

Francesco Redi

Person who didn't believe in spontaneous generation and wanted to prove it. Did experiments with decaying meat and maggots to prove this wasn't true. Ruined the life of scientists

John Tyndall

Person who discovered that bacteria existed in two forms. Research resulted in a method of sterilizing liquid by heating it to boiling point on successive days

Rudolf Virchow

Person who introduced the concept of biogenesis

Joseph Lister

Person who introduced the use of a disinfectant to clean surgical wounds in order to control infections in humans

Robert Koch

Person who proved that microorganisms cause disease. Used a sequence of procedures (Koch's Postulates) that are used today to show that a particular organism causes a particular disease

Edward Jenner

Person who wanted to protect people from smallpox. Infected healthy person with disease and observed results. Person got mild form of disease, but never got actually sick. We call this vaccination now

Lazzaro Spallanzani

Person who wanted to prove Needham wrong. Decided that the microbes that appeared came from the air.

Robert Hooke

Person who was able to see individual cells ( reported that life's smallest structural units were little boxes [cells]). This discovery helped the beginning of cell theory.

Algae

Photosynthetic, plantlike organisms which generally lack the complex structure of plants, they may be single or mult cellular and inhabit diverse habitats such as marine and freshwater environments, glaciers, and even hot springs.

Scientific Method

Principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge, involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experimentation, and the formulation and testing of a hypothesis.

Archaea

Prokaryotic single-celled organisms of primitive orgin that have unusual anatomy, physiology, and genetics, and live in harsh habitats.

Prokaryotes

Small cells lacking special structures such as a nucleus and organelles. All prokaryotes are microorganisms.

Molecular Biology

Studies how genetic information is carried in molecules of DNA

Microbial genetics

Studies the mechanisms by which microorganisms inherit traits

Aseptic Techniques

Techniques that prevent contamination by unwanted organisms. This is now the standard practice in laboratory and medical procedures

Chemotherapy

The chemical treatment of a disease

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

The first person to actually observe live microorganisms. Made basic microscopes and examined stuff to see what was inside. Drew what is believed to be bacteria

Multicellular Animal Parasites

The microscopic stages in a life cycle. The principal groups of multicellular animal parasites.

Immunity

The protection from disease provided by vaccination

Genomics

The study of an organisms genes. Used to classify bacteria, fungi, and protozoa

Bacteriology

The study of bacteria

Mycology

The study of fungi

Parasitology

The study of parasitic protozoa and worms

Biotechnology

The use of microbes or their products in the commercial or industrial realm.

Bioremediation

The use of microbes to reduce or degrade pollutants, industrial wastes, and household garbage.

Fermentation

Yeast ferments sugars to alcohol in the absence of air (Basically the process of stuff spoiling)

Microbiology

a specialized area of biology that deals with living things ordinarily too small to be seen without magnification, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa and viruses.