Question | Answer |
What is microbiology? | the study of microorganisms |
What is a microorganism? | A small living plant or animal seen only with a microscope; a microbe |
What is bacteria? | A member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms lacking organelles and an organized nucleus, including some that can cause disease. |
What is a bacilli? | rod-shaped bacteria |
What is a cocci? | spherical or nearly spherical bacteria |
What are spirilla? | any flagellated aerobic bacteria having a spirally twisted rodlike form |
Define unicellular | one-celled |
What is a cell's capsule? | A sticky layer that surrounds the cell walls of some bacteria, protecting the cell surface and sometimes helping to glue the cell to surfaces. |
What is a prokaryote? | a unicellular organism having cells lacking membrane-bound nuclei |
What is a eukaryote? | A cell that contains a nucleus and membrane bound organelles |
What are archaebacteria? | a kingdom made up of prokaryotes that are distinguished from other prokaryotes by differences in their genetics and in the makeup of their cell wall; currently, biologists prefer to classify members of this kingdom into the domain Archaea |
What are cyanobacteria? | predominantly photosynthetic prokaryotic organisms containing a blue pigment in addition to chlorophyll |
What is chlorophyll? | A green pigment found in the chloroplasts of plants, algae, and some bacteria |
What is photosynthesis? | Plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars |
What is chemosynthesis? | A process by which some organisms use chemical energy instead of light energy to make energy storing carbon-based molecules. |
What is a vaccine? | immunogen consisting of a suspension of weakened or dead pathogenic cells injected in order to stimulate the production of antibodies |
What is an antibiotic? | A chemical secreted by a living organism that kills or reduces the reproduction rate of other organisms |
What is Lyme Disease? | An infection transmitted by the bite of an infected tick; red macule or papule appears at the bite site and is accompanied by flulike symptoms |
What is strep throat? | Inflammatory sore throat caused by steptococcal bacteria and marked by fever, fatigue, and toxemia. |
What is pneumonia? | Inflammation in the lung caused by infection from bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses, or resulting from aspiration of chemicals |
What is Botulism? | A type of food poisoning caused by the production of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum in improperly canned foods. It often results in death. |
What is an endospore? | A thick-walled protective spore that forms inside a bacterial cell and resists harsh conditions. |
What is a saprophyte? | an organism that feeds on dead organic matter especially a fungus or bacterium |
What are aerobes? | an organism especially a bacterium that requires air or free oxygen for life |
What is an anaerobe? | Bacteria that grow in the absence of oxygen and are destroyed by oxygen |
What is fission? | reproduction of some unicellular organisms by division of the cell into two more or less equal parts |
What is a pathogen? | any disease-producing agent (especially a virus or bacterium or other microorganism) |
What is an autotroph? | plant capable of synthesizing its own food from simple organic substances |
What is a heterotroph? | an organism that cannot make its own food |
What are nitrogen-fixing bacteria? | bacteria that "infect" plants and cause the plant to grow nodules that are capable of synthesizing nitrogen into a form the plant can use |
What is an extremophile? | An organism capable of tolerating extreme environmental conditions, especially temperature or PH level. |
What is leprosy? | A skin and nerve disease that causes open sores on the body and can lead to serious complications and death |
What is eutrophication? | A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria. |
What are microbiologists? | a scientist that studies microscopic organisms |
What are toxins? | Any of various poisonous substances produced by some microorganisms |
What is pasteurization? | partial sterilization of foods at a temperature that destroys harmful microorganisms without major changes in the chemistry of the food |
What is bioremediation? | the act of treating waste or pollutants by the use of microorganisms (as bacteria) that can break down the undesirable substances |
What is a vector? | FLEA, MICE, OTHER RODENTS, AND SOIL. Any non-human carrier of disease. |