Introduction to Microbiology - Lecture 1 Flashcards

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Microbiology

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The scientific study of organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye. It covers their structure, physiology, genetics, ecology, and roles in health and disease.

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Microorganisms

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Organisms that are microscopic, including viruses, prions, bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, and protozoa. They vary widely in organization from acellular agents to complex eukaryotic cells.

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Viruses

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Acellular infectious agents composed of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat, sometimes with an envelope. Viruses replicate only inside host cells and can cause a range of diseases.

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Prions

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Proteinaceous infectious particles that cause neurodegenerative diseases by inducing abnormal folding of native proteins. They lack nucleic acids and are resistant to common sterilization methods.

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Bacteria

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Prokaryotic, single-celled organisms with no membrane-bound nucleus, exhibiting diverse shapes and metabolisms. They inhabit virtually all environments and can be beneficial, neutral, or pathogenic to other organisms.

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Archaea

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Prokaryotic microorganisms distinct from bacteria with unique membrane lipids and genetic features. Many live in extreme environments, and they contribute to global cycles like methane production.

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Fungi

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Eukaryotic organisms that include yeasts, molds, and mushrooms; they have chitinous cell walls and absorb nutrients from their environment. Fungi play major roles in decomposition and can be pathogens or used in industry.

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Algae

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Photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms, ranging from single-celled forms to large seaweeds, that produce oxygen and organic matter through photosynthesis. They are primary producers in many aquatic ecosystems.

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Protozoa

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Heterotrophic, single-celled eukaryotes often motile and found in aquatic or moist environments. Some protozoa are important human parasites causing diseases like malaria and sleeping sickness.

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LUCA

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Stands for Last Universal Common Ancestor, the hypothetical most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. LUCA represents a conceptual origin point for major evolutionary lineages.

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Pathogen

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A microorganism that can cause disease in a host organism. Pathogenicity depends on virulence factors, host susceptibility, and environmental conditions.

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Infectious disease

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A disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms that can be transmitted between hosts or via vectors and environmental sources. Control measures include sanitation, vaccination, treatment, and epidemiological surveillance.

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Koch’s postulates

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A set of criteria developed to link a specific microorganism to a specific disease: presence in diseased hosts, isolation and culture, reproduction of disease in healthy hosts, and re-isolation. They laid the foundation for microbial disease causation theories but have limitations with viruses and asymptomatic carriers.

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Pasteur’s experiment

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Louis Pasteur used swan-neck flasks to show that sterilized broth remained free of microbial growth unless exposed to airborne particles. This experiment provided strong evidence against spontaneous generation and supported the role of microbes in fermentation and spoilage.

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Leeuwenhoek

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Antoni van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe and record microscopic organisms using simple single-lens microscopes. His descriptions of bacteria shapes and motility opened the field of microbiology.

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Germ theory

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The concept that many diseases are caused by microorganisms, developed through work by Pasteur, Koch, and others. It transformed medical practice, hygiene, and public health measures to prevent and treat infections.

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Antiseptic

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A chemical agent applied to living tissue to reduce infection risk by killing or inhibiting microbes. Joseph Lister promoted antiseptic surgery using phenol, greatly reducing post-operative infections.

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Epidemiology

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The study of disease distribution, determinants, and control in populations. John Snow’s investigation of the 1854 cholera outbreak exemplifies epidemiology by identifying contaminated water as the source and guiding public health interventions.

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Antibiotic

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A substance produced by microorganisms or synthesized that inhibits or kills other microbes, used to treat bacterial infections. Penicillin, discovered by Alexander Fleming, was the first widely used antibiotic and revolutionized infectious disease therapy.