BI 234 MICROBIO UNIT 1 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
mordant
a substance that increases the affinity of the cell wall for a stain by binding to the
primary stain, thus forming an insoluble complex, which gets trapped in the cell wall
micrometer (um)
1/1,000,000 of a meter
nanometer (nm)
1/1,000,000,000 if a meter
millimeter (mm)
1/1000 of a meter
meter (m)
100 centimeters
complement system
30 proteins in the blood stream that can lyse pathogens directly, promote or cause
inflammation, or opsonize pathogens for phagocytosis
nucleotide
a building block of DNA or RNA; it's 1-3 phosphate groups-one sugar (ribose or
deoxyribose)-one nitrogen-containing base (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine (DNA),
uracil (RNA))
agar
,a carbohydrate added to broth media that solidifies and allows growth of microbes on a
plate
chromosomal genes
a cell needs products coded by chromosomal genes to perform ALL functions of life
crystal violet
a dye that sticks to peptidoglycan, helping to identify Gram + or - bacteria
mutation
a factor of evolution via natural selection, which requires genetic variation; possible
every time a cell divides
16S rRNA
a fundamental part of bacterial ribosome that holds catalytic proteins in place, it is
NEVER translated to protein
protein
a large molecules that help a body do all the things it needs to do; a polymer of amino
acids; the order of amino acids in a protein is determined by the sequence of
nucleotides in mRNA
pathogen
a microbe that can cause disease
iodine
a mordant used in gram staining that binds crystal violet to peptidoglycan
cell membrane
a phospholipid bilayer differentiating what substances are inside a cell and which are
outside, a waterproof layer.
, peptidoglycan
a polymer of sugar and amino acids that makes up the cell walls of bacteria
pilus/pili
a protein tube used by a cell to: carry DNA between cells, carry electrons to and from a
cell, dragging itself across a host cell surface
decolorizer
a solvent that can remove chrystal violet from Gram - thin peptidoglycan layer
polymer
a thing composed of macromolecules
fever
a tightly-controlled, but coarse immune response, an increase in the temperature set
point for a period of time; increases activity of immune cells and decreases growth of
pathogens
phagocyte
a type of cell that engulfs and absorbs bacteria and other cellular trash
phylogenetic tree
a visual representation of genetic relationships; comparison of rRNA gene sequences in
ribosomes
obligate (not oxygen)
absolutely required; an organism capable of living only in particular circumstances
gram stain
allows microscopic identification of two specific phylla
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
mordant
a substance that increases the affinity of the cell wall for a stain by binding to the
primary stain, thus forming an insoluble complex, which gets trapped in the cell wall
micrometer (um)
1/1,000,000 of a meter
nanometer (nm)
1/1,000,000,000 if a meter
millimeter (mm)
1/1000 of a meter
meter (m)
100 centimeters
complement system
30 proteins in the blood stream that can lyse pathogens directly, promote or cause
inflammation, or opsonize pathogens for phagocytosis
nucleotide
a building block of DNA or RNA; it's 1-3 phosphate groups-one sugar (ribose or
deoxyribose)-one nitrogen-containing base (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine (DNA),
uracil (RNA))
agar
,a carbohydrate added to broth media that solidifies and allows growth of microbes on a
plate
chromosomal genes
a cell needs products coded by chromosomal genes to perform ALL functions of life
crystal violet
a dye that sticks to peptidoglycan, helping to identify Gram + or - bacteria
mutation
a factor of evolution via natural selection, which requires genetic variation; possible
every time a cell divides
16S rRNA
a fundamental part of bacterial ribosome that holds catalytic proteins in place, it is
NEVER translated to protein
protein
a large molecules that help a body do all the things it needs to do; a polymer of amino
acids; the order of amino acids in a protein is determined by the sequence of
nucleotides in mRNA
pathogen
a microbe that can cause disease
iodine
a mordant used in gram staining that binds crystal violet to peptidoglycan
cell membrane
a phospholipid bilayer differentiating what substances are inside a cell and which are
outside, a waterproof layer.
, peptidoglycan
a polymer of sugar and amino acids that makes up the cell walls of bacteria
pilus/pili
a protein tube used by a cell to: carry DNA between cells, carry electrons to and from a
cell, dragging itself across a host cell surface
decolorizer
a solvent that can remove chrystal violet from Gram - thin peptidoglycan layer
polymer
a thing composed of macromolecules
fever
a tightly-controlled, but coarse immune response, an increase in the temperature set
point for a period of time; increases activity of immune cells and decreases growth of
pathogens
phagocyte
a type of cell that engulfs and absorbs bacteria and other cellular trash
phylogenetic tree
a visual representation of genetic relationships; comparison of rRNA gene sequences in
ribosomes
obligate (not oxygen)
absolutely required; an organism capable of living only in particular circumstances
gram stain
allows microscopic identification of two specific phylla
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
