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MICRO VOCAB - Ch 1-5
Microbiology Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Microbiology | The study of small living organisms. "Micro" is small. "Bio" is living. "-ology" is the study of. |
| Chemolithotrophy | The oxidation of inorganic compounds to yield energy. |
| Culture | A particular strain or kind of organism growing in a laboratory medium. |
| Cytoplasmic membrane | A semipermeable barrier that separates the cell interior (cytoplasm) from the external environment. |
| Differentiation | The modification of cellular components to form a new structure, such as a spore. |
| Enrichment culture technique | The use of selective culture media and incubation conditions to isolate specific microorganisms from natural samples. |
| Enzyme | A catalyst, usually composed of protein, that promotes specific reactions or groups of reactions. |
| Evolution | Descent with modification; DNA sequence variation and the inheritance of that variation. |
| Genome | The total complement of genetic information of a cell or virus. |
| Growth | An increase in cell number. |
| Heterocyst | A differentiated cyanobacterial cell that carries out nitrogen fixation. |
| Koch's Postulates #1 | Criteria for proving that a given microorganism causes a given disease. 1. The disease-causing organism must always be present in animals suffering from the disease but not in healthy animals. |
| Koch's Postulates #2 | 2. The organism must be cultivated in a pure culture away from the animal body. |
| Koch's Postulates #3 | 3. The isolated organism must cause the disease when inoculated into healthy susceptible animals. |
| Koch's Postulates #4 | 4. the organism must be isolated from the newly infected animals and cultured again in the laboratory, after which it should be seen to be the same as the original organism. |
| Metabolism | All biochemical reactions in a cell, both anabolic and catabolic. |
| Microorganism | A microscopic organism consisting of a single cell or cell cluster, also including the viruses, which are not cellular. |
| Motility | The property of movement of a cell under its own power. |
| Nodule | A tumor-like structure produced by the roots of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing plants. Contains the nitrogen-fixing microbial component of the symbiosis. |
| Pathogen | A disease causing microorganism. |
| Pure culture | A culture containing a single kind of microorganism. |
| Spontaneous generation | The hypothesis that living organisms can originate from nonliving matter. |
| Sterile | Free of all living organisms and viruses. |
| Genus | A taxonomic group of related species. |
| Species | Collection of strains that all share the same major properties and differ in one or more significant properties from other collections of strains; phylogenetically as a monophyletic, exclusive group based on DNA sequence. |
| Domain | Highest level of biological classification. Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya |
| Kingdom | Rank under Domain. |
| Phylum | Between Kingdom and Class. |
| Class | Between Phylum and Order. |
| Order | Between Class and Family. |
| Family | Between Order and Genus. |
| Archaea | Single celled, prokaryotic, distinct from Bacteria. Means "ancient" or " primitive". |
| Autotroph | If a cell uses carbon dioxide as it carbon source they are called autotrophs. They make their own glucose via photosynthesis. This would be plants, algae and cyanobacteria. |
| Bacteria | Prokaryote, single celled, no membrane bound organelles. |
| Cell Wall | In bacteria it is made of peptidoglycan. |
| Chemolithotroph | Obtain their energy from the oxidation of inorganic molecules. |
| Chemoorganotroph | Obtain their energy from the oxidation of organic molecules. |
| Chromosome | Single DNA molecule. |
| Cyanobacteria | Photosynthetic, prokaryotic, responsible for the oxygen rich atmosphere on Earth. |
| Cytoplasm | Composed of cytosol (gel-like fluid) and organelles within a cell membrane. About 70% water. |
| Cytoplasmic membrane | All cells have it. Composed of a phospholipid bilayer. |
| Endosymbiosis | In which one organism lives "inside" another acting together as a single organism. Ex - Mitochondria and chloroplasts. |
| Eukarya | Domain arose from first prokaryotic organisms. Includes all organisms of eukaryotic cells. |
| Eukaryote | DNA is in membrane bound nuclei, has organelles, is usually more complex. |
| Evolution | The process of change over time that results in new varieties and species of organisms. |
| Extremeophile | Organism that exists and thrives in an extreme environment. |
| Genome | A cells full complement of cells. |
| Gram Stain | Process of staining bacteria for identification into 2 groups: Gram + & Gram - |
| Gram Positive Bacteria | Bacteria that retain the crystal violet dye. Their cell walls are comprised of high amounts of peptidoglycan and low lipids. |
| Gram Negative Bacteria | Bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet, but safranin instead. Cell walls are thinner, and have a lipopolysaccharide that keeps basic stain out. Alcohol is used to strip away the lipid (LPS) layer and safranin can remain. |
| Heterotroph | If a cell must be given organic molecules i.e. glucose as their carbon source then they are called heterotrophs. Many organisms like bacteria, fungi, animals and protists are heterotrophic. |
| Nucleoid | Nucleus-like region within a prokaryotic cell that contains all or most of the genetic material. Has no membrane. |
| Nucleus | Membrane bound organelle that contains most or all of the genetic material, DNA in long linear molecules in eukaryotic cells. Function is to regulate integrity and gene expression. |
| Organelle | A separate sub-unit within a cell with a specific function. Has its own lipid by-layer. A lot like organs are to a human body, the organelle is to a cell. |
| Phototroph | Contain pigments that allow light as an energy source. |
| Phylogeny | Evolutionary relationships between organisms. rRNA is useful for determining these relationships. |
| Plasmid | In bacteria, they carry extra-chromosomal DNA and carry a few genes often for resistance to drugs. |
| Prokaryote | No nucleus, no organelles, generally smaller than eukaryotic cells. |
| Proteobacteria | Gram -, include pathogens, example - Escherichia coli |
| Resolution | The ability to distinguish two adjacent objects as separate and distinct. |
| Ribosome | Composed of protein and RNA (mRNA & tRNA) for protein synthesis. |
| Virus | Not considered cells. Can't reproduce. Consist of a protein coat surrounding either DNA or RNA. |
| Capsule | A polysaccharide or protein outermost layer, usually rather slimy, present on some bacteria. Ex. Streptococcus pneumoniae. |
| Chemotaxis | Directed movement of a organism toward or away from a chemical gradient. Positive or negative. |
| Dipicolinic Acid | A substance unique to endospores that confers heat resistance on these structures. |
| Endospore | A highly heat-resistant, thick walled, differentiated structure produced by certain gram + Bacteria. |
| Flagellum | A long, thin cellular appendage capable of rotation and responsible for swimming motility in prokaryotes. |
| Gas Vesicles | Gas filled cytoplasmic structures bounded by protein and conferring buoyancy on cells. |
| Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) | A combination of lipid with polysaccharide and protein that forms the major portion of the outer membrane in gram - Bacteria. |
| Magnetosome | A particle of magnetite (Fe3O4) enclosed by a non unit membrane in the cytoplasm of magnetotactic Bacteria. |
| Morphology | The SHAPE of a cell; rod, coccus, spirillum, etc. |
| Outer Membrane | A phospholipid and polysaccharide containing unit membrane that lies external to the peptidoglycan layer in cells of gram - Bacteria. |
| Peptidoglycan | A polysaccharide composed of alternating repeats of N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid arranged in adjacent layers and cross linked by short peptides. |
| Periplasm | A gel like region between the outer surface of the cytoplasmic membrane and the inner surface of the lipopolysaccharide layer of gram - Bacteria. |
| Petitrichous Flagellation | Having flagella located in many places around the surface of the cell. |
| Phototaxis | Movement of an organism toward light. |
| Pili | Thin, filamentous structures that extend from the surface of a cell and depending on type, facilitate cell attachment, genetic exchange, or twitching motility. |
| Polar Flagellation | Having flagella emanating from one or both poles of the cell. |
| Poly-Beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) | A common storage material of prokaryotic cells consisting of a polymer of Beta-hydroxybutyrate of another Beta-alkanoic acid or mixtures of Beta-alkanoic acids. |
| Protoplast | A cell in which the cell wall has been removed. |
| Sterol | Rigid planar lipids found in eukaryotic cell membranes. Strengthen and stabilize membranes. |
| Teichoic Acid | A phosphorylated polyalcohol found in the cell wall of some gram + Bacteria. |
| Activation Energy | The energy required to bring the substrate of an enzyme to the reactive state. |
| Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) | A nucleotide that is the primary form in which chemical energy is conserved and utilized in cells. |
| Allosteric Enzyme | Enzyme containing an active site for binding substrate & an allosteric site for binding an effector molecule such as the end product of a biochemical pathway. |
| Anabolic Reactions (Anabolism) | The sum total of all biosynthetic reactions in the cell. Building up. |
| Anaerobic Respiration | Oxygen is absent and alternative electron acceptors are reduced. |
| Aseptic Technique | Manipulations to prevent contamination of sterile objects or microbial cultures during handling. |
| Autotroph | An organism capable of biosynthesizing all cell material from CO2 as the sole carbon source. |
| Catabolic Reactions (Catabolism) | Biochemical reactions leading to energy conservation by the cell. ATP. Breaking down. |
| Catalyst | Substance that accelerates a chemical reaction but is not consumed in the reaction. Lowers activation energy. (Enzyme) |
| Citric Acid Cycle | Kreb's Cycle: pathway through which pyruvate is completely oxidized into CO2. |
| Coenzyme | A small and loosely bound nonprotein molecule that participates in a reaction as part of an enzyme. |
| Complex Medium | Culture medium composed of chemically undefined substances like yeast and meat extracts. |
| Culture Medium | Aqueous solution of various nutrients suitable for the growth of microorganisms in a laboratory. |
| Defined Medium | Culture medium where precise chemical composition is known. |
| Feedback Inhibition | Mechanism for turning off the reactions in a biosynthetic pathway. End product binds to the first enzyme, thus inhibiting activity. Allosteric enzyme. |
| Fermentation | Anaerobic catabolism where an organic compound is both an electron donor and acceptor and ATP is produced by substrate-level phosphorylation. |
| Glycolysis (EMP pathway) | Biochemical pathway where glucose is fermented, yielding ATP and ethanol, hydrogen, lactic acid. |
| Metabolism | Sum total of all chemical reactions in a cell. |
| Pure Culture | Culture that contains a single kind of microorganism. |
| Sterile | Free from living organisms or microorganisms. |
Created by:
christy.honel
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