Microbiology FINAL EXAM Review Flashcards Questions
& Answers Rated 100% Correct!!
1. What are microorganisms?
microscopic organisms, or microbes
includes bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae and helminths
1. How are the names of microorganisms written?
Capital Genus, lower case species name
(binomial system of nomenclature)
*italicized if typed or underlined if written
1. In what ways do humans use microorganisms?
*genetic engineering, GMOs, recombinant DNA technology, food industry, products in
industrial settings, bioremediation, fuel sources
1. What is bioremediation?
introduction of microbes into the environment to restore stability or to clean up toxic
pollutants, break down chemicals that would be harmful to other organisms
1. What is the role of microbes in decomposition?
Bacteria and fungi breakdown dead matter and wastes into simple compounds that can
be recycled back into natural cycles of living things. (Main forces that drive the structure
and content of the soil, water and atmosphere of earth.)
1. What is a pathogen?
any agent (usually a virus, bacteria, fungus, protozoan or helminth) that causes disease
1. Compare and contrast prokaryotes with eukaryotes.
Prokaryotes- no nucleus, bacteria, simple, ancient
Eukaryotes- have a nucleus, fungi, protozoan, algae, plant,
complex
1. What was the contribution of Lister?
British surgeon and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery, promoted the idea of sterile portable
ports while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Lister successfully introduced
carbolic acid (now known as phenol) to sterilize surgical instruments and to clean
wounds, which led to a reduction in post-operative infections and made surgery safer for
patients, distinguishing himself as the "father of modern surgery"
1. What was the contribution of Semmelweis?
Ignaz Semmelweis was a Hungarian physician whose work demonstrated that hand-
washing could drastically reduce the number of women dying after childbirth
1. What was the contribution of Pasteur?
*Pasteur was responsible for disproving the doctrine of spontaneous generation.
*created the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax.
*renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation
and pasteurization
1. What was the contribution of Leeuwenhoek?
Constructed lenses to make microscope and examined scrapings from teeth, rainwater
from a pot, and threads in fabrics. "Father of Bacteriology and Protozoology"
1. What was the contribution of Koch? What are Koch's Postulates?
,* first to link a microscopic organism with a specific disease
Koch's Postulates
(1) find evidence of a microbe in every case of disease.
(2) isolate that microbe, cultivate--> pure, study
(3) Inoculate a healthy subject with isolate, observe
disease
(4) Reisolate the same agent from subject
CHAPTER 3- CULTURING AND MICROSCOPY
**********************************************
3. What is a pure culture?
substance that is composed of a single species
3. What is a selective media?
a selective media contains one or more agents that inhibit the growth of a microbe or
microbes (A, B, C) but not others (D) and thereby "select" microbe D and allow it to
grow
Ex: Mannitol Salt Agar
3. Compare the uses of transmission and scanning
microscopes.
Transmission Electron Microscope- produces image by transmitting electrons through
the specimen, extremely thin slices, stained or coated with metals, view detailed
structure of cells
Scanning electron Microscope- extremely detailed 3D view, bombards surface of a
whole metal coated specimen with electrons while scanning back and forth over it,
image is black and white
3. Describe the Gram stain and how it is used in bacterial
identification.
Universal diagnostic staining technique, differential stain
gram positive= stain purple
gram negative= stain pink
Basis for bacterial taxonomy, cell wall structure, ID and diagnosis of infection
3. Tell the microbe that has a positive Acid-fast stain
Differential stain
acid fast bacteria = pink
non-acid fast bacteria= blue
* detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mycolic acid in waxy outer coating hold the dye
(carbol fuchsin) even when washed with acid alcohol
CHAPTER 4 PROKARYOTIC MICROBES (BACTERIA)
**********************************************
4. What is the function of the bacterial cell wall?
Cell wall- semirigid casing that provides structural support and shape for the cell, keeps
bacteirum from bursting or collapsng because of osmotic pressure changes
* Gram + thick layer of peptidoglycan
* Gram - Lipopolysaccharide layer, thin peptidoglycan
4. What is the function of the bacterial capsule?
, Capsule= a coating of molecules external to the cell wall, protection, adhesion and
receptor functions, glycocalyx
*slime layer when it is loose
* capsule when it is bound tightly to the cell
* protect against white blood cells phagocytes, capsular coating blocks the mechanisms
that phagocytes use to attach to and engulf bacteria
4. What is the function of the bacterial cell membrane?
cell membrane= thin sheet of lipid and protein regulates what enters and leaves the cell
4. What is the function of the bacterial nucleoid?
nucleoid= nuclear region or body that contains the bacterial chromosome
4. What is the function of the bacterial inclusion?
inclusion (granule)= stored nutrients such as fat, phosphate, or glycogen deposited in
dense crystals or particles that can be tapped into when needed
4. What is the function of the bacterial endospores?
Endospores= dormant body formed within some bacteria (Bacillus and Chlostridium)
that allows for their survival in adverse conditions
4. What is the function of the bacterial ribosomes?
ribosomes= protein synthesis
4. What is the function of the bacterial plasmids?
Plasmids= double stranded DNA circle containing extra genes
4. What is endotoxin?
endotoxin= phospholipid-polysaccharide complex that is an integral part of gram-
negative bacterial cell walls, can cause severe shock and fever
CHAPTER 5- EUKARYOTIC MICROBES
***********************************************
5. Describe yeast- cell wall, photosynthesis? forms? nutrients?
Yeast belong to fungi kingdom
* cell wall- polysaccharides, lipids and chitin
*anaerobic respiration-sugars are converted into ethanol. This is called fermentation.
* forms- single nucleated cell
* reproduction- asexual buds or pseudohypha form
5. Describe algae cell wall material, photosynthesis, contribution algae makes to
environment.
*algae cell wall- made of glycoproteins and polysaccharides.
* photosynthetic, make up floating community of plankton
*essential role in aquatic food web
* produce most of the earth's oxygen
What is the function of the protozoan cyst?
protozoan cyst= dormant resting stage when environmental conditions become
unfavorable, thick cuticle around the cell membrane makes it resistant to heat, drying
and chemicals
5. What is a helminth? Give examples.
Helminths- collective term for tapeworms, flukes, and roundworms
Ex: pinworm (roundworm)
cestode (tapeworm)
tremetode (liver fluke)
& Answers Rated 100% Correct!!
1. What are microorganisms?
microscopic organisms, or microbes
includes bacteria, protozoa, fungi, algae and helminths
1. How are the names of microorganisms written?
Capital Genus, lower case species name
(binomial system of nomenclature)
*italicized if typed or underlined if written
1. In what ways do humans use microorganisms?
*genetic engineering, GMOs, recombinant DNA technology, food industry, products in
industrial settings, bioremediation, fuel sources
1. What is bioremediation?
introduction of microbes into the environment to restore stability or to clean up toxic
pollutants, break down chemicals that would be harmful to other organisms
1. What is the role of microbes in decomposition?
Bacteria and fungi breakdown dead matter and wastes into simple compounds that can
be recycled back into natural cycles of living things. (Main forces that drive the structure
and content of the soil, water and atmosphere of earth.)
1. What is a pathogen?
any agent (usually a virus, bacteria, fungus, protozoan or helminth) that causes disease
1. Compare and contrast prokaryotes with eukaryotes.
Prokaryotes- no nucleus, bacteria, simple, ancient
Eukaryotes- have a nucleus, fungi, protozoan, algae, plant,
complex
1. What was the contribution of Lister?
British surgeon and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery, promoted the idea of sterile portable
ports while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Lister successfully introduced
carbolic acid (now known as phenol) to sterilize surgical instruments and to clean
wounds, which led to a reduction in post-operative infections and made surgery safer for
patients, distinguishing himself as the "father of modern surgery"
1. What was the contribution of Semmelweis?
Ignaz Semmelweis was a Hungarian physician whose work demonstrated that hand-
washing could drastically reduce the number of women dying after childbirth
1. What was the contribution of Pasteur?
*Pasteur was responsible for disproving the doctrine of spontaneous generation.
*created the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax.
*renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation
and pasteurization
1. What was the contribution of Leeuwenhoek?
Constructed lenses to make microscope and examined scrapings from teeth, rainwater
from a pot, and threads in fabrics. "Father of Bacteriology and Protozoology"
1. What was the contribution of Koch? What are Koch's Postulates?
,* first to link a microscopic organism with a specific disease
Koch's Postulates
(1) find evidence of a microbe in every case of disease.
(2) isolate that microbe, cultivate--> pure, study
(3) Inoculate a healthy subject with isolate, observe
disease
(4) Reisolate the same agent from subject
CHAPTER 3- CULTURING AND MICROSCOPY
**********************************************
3. What is a pure culture?
substance that is composed of a single species
3. What is a selective media?
a selective media contains one or more agents that inhibit the growth of a microbe or
microbes (A, B, C) but not others (D) and thereby "select" microbe D and allow it to
grow
Ex: Mannitol Salt Agar
3. Compare the uses of transmission and scanning
microscopes.
Transmission Electron Microscope- produces image by transmitting electrons through
the specimen, extremely thin slices, stained or coated with metals, view detailed
structure of cells
Scanning electron Microscope- extremely detailed 3D view, bombards surface of a
whole metal coated specimen with electrons while scanning back and forth over it,
image is black and white
3. Describe the Gram stain and how it is used in bacterial
identification.
Universal diagnostic staining technique, differential stain
gram positive= stain purple
gram negative= stain pink
Basis for bacterial taxonomy, cell wall structure, ID and diagnosis of infection
3. Tell the microbe that has a positive Acid-fast stain
Differential stain
acid fast bacteria = pink
non-acid fast bacteria= blue
* detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mycolic acid in waxy outer coating hold the dye
(carbol fuchsin) even when washed with acid alcohol
CHAPTER 4 PROKARYOTIC MICROBES (BACTERIA)
**********************************************
4. What is the function of the bacterial cell wall?
Cell wall- semirigid casing that provides structural support and shape for the cell, keeps
bacteirum from bursting or collapsng because of osmotic pressure changes
* Gram + thick layer of peptidoglycan
* Gram - Lipopolysaccharide layer, thin peptidoglycan
4. What is the function of the bacterial capsule?
, Capsule= a coating of molecules external to the cell wall, protection, adhesion and
receptor functions, glycocalyx
*slime layer when it is loose
* capsule when it is bound tightly to the cell
* protect against white blood cells phagocytes, capsular coating blocks the mechanisms
that phagocytes use to attach to and engulf bacteria
4. What is the function of the bacterial cell membrane?
cell membrane= thin sheet of lipid and protein regulates what enters and leaves the cell
4. What is the function of the bacterial nucleoid?
nucleoid= nuclear region or body that contains the bacterial chromosome
4. What is the function of the bacterial inclusion?
inclusion (granule)= stored nutrients such as fat, phosphate, or glycogen deposited in
dense crystals or particles that can be tapped into when needed
4. What is the function of the bacterial endospores?
Endospores= dormant body formed within some bacteria (Bacillus and Chlostridium)
that allows for their survival in adverse conditions
4. What is the function of the bacterial ribosomes?
ribosomes= protein synthesis
4. What is the function of the bacterial plasmids?
Plasmids= double stranded DNA circle containing extra genes
4. What is endotoxin?
endotoxin= phospholipid-polysaccharide complex that is an integral part of gram-
negative bacterial cell walls, can cause severe shock and fever
CHAPTER 5- EUKARYOTIC MICROBES
***********************************************
5. Describe yeast- cell wall, photosynthesis? forms? nutrients?
Yeast belong to fungi kingdom
* cell wall- polysaccharides, lipids and chitin
*anaerobic respiration-sugars are converted into ethanol. This is called fermentation.
* forms- single nucleated cell
* reproduction- asexual buds or pseudohypha form
5. Describe algae cell wall material, photosynthesis, contribution algae makes to
environment.
*algae cell wall- made of glycoproteins and polysaccharides.
* photosynthetic, make up floating community of plankton
*essential role in aquatic food web
* produce most of the earth's oxygen
What is the function of the protozoan cyst?
protozoan cyst= dormant resting stage when environmental conditions become
unfavorable, thick cuticle around the cell membrane makes it resistant to heat, drying
and chemicals
5. What is a helminth? Give examples.
Helminths- collective term for tapeworms, flukes, and roundworms
Ex: pinworm (roundworm)
cestode (tapeworm)
tremetode (liver fluke)
