Microbiology, A Systems Approach, Marjorie Kelly Cowan Chp. 1 Questions with Answers

Microbiology, A Systems Approach, Marjorie Kelly Cowan Chp. 1
Questions with Answers
microbiology - correct answersa specialized area of biology that deals with living thinggs ordinarily too
small to be seen without magnification



microorganisms - correct answersmicroscopic organisms



bacteria, algae, protozoa, helminths, fungi - correct answersfive major groups of microorganisms



virus - correct answersnoncellular, parasitic, protein-coated genetic elements, depenedent on their
infected host



microbiologists - correct answersone who studies every aspect of microbes-their cell structure and
function, their growth and physiology, their genetics, their taxonomy and evolutionary history , and their
interactions with the living and nonliving environment



microbes - correct answerscan be found nearly everywhere (ubiquitous), from deep in the earth's crust,
to the polar ice caps and oceans, to the bodies of plants and animals. being mostly invisible, the actions
of microorganisms are usually not as obvious or familiar as those of larger plants and animals. they make
up for their small size by occuring in large numbers and living in places that many other organisms can
not survive



evolution - correct answersthe accumulation of changes that occur in organisms as they adapt to their
environments



theory of evolution - correct answersan observable phenomenon testable by science



photosynthesis - correct answersoccurs in plants, the light-fueled conversion of carbon dioxide to organic
material, accompanied by the formation of oxygen



medical microbiology - correct answersthis branch deals with microbes that cause diseases in humans
and animals. researchers examine factors that make the microbes virulent and mechanisms for inhibiting
them

, public health microbiology and epidemiology - correct answersthese branches monitor and control the
spread of diseases in communities. institutions involved in this concern are the U.S. public health service
with its main agency, the centers for disease control and prevention located in atlanta, ga, and the world
health organization, the medical limb of the united nations



immunology - correct answersthis branch studies the complex web of protective sunbstances and cells
produced in response to infection. it includes such diverse areas as vaccination, blood testing, and allergy



industrial microbiology - correct answersthis branch safeguards our food and water, and also includes
biotechnology, the use of microbial metabolism to arrive at a desired product, ranging from bread
making to gene therapy. microbes can be used to create large quantities of substances such as amino
acids, beer, drugs, enzymes, and vitamins



agricultural microbiology - correct answersthis branch is concerned with the relationships between
microbes and domesticated plants and animals. plant specialists focus on plant diseases, soil fertility, and
nutritional interactions. animal specialists work with infectious diseases and other associations animals
have with microorganisms



environmental microbiology - correct answersthese microbiologists study the effect of microbes on the
earth's diverse habitats. whether the microbes are in freshwater or saltwater, topsoil or the earth's crust,
they have profound effects on our planet



aquatic microbiology - correct answersthe study of microbes in the earth's surface water



soil microbiology - correct answersthe study of microbes in terrestrial parts of the planet



geomicrobiology - correct answersthe study of microbes in the earth's crust



astrobiology - correct answersalso known as exobiology, the search for/study of microbial and other life
in places off of our planet



decomposition - correct answersinvolves the breakdown of dead matter and wastes into simple
compounds that can be directed back into the natural cycles of living things