MODULE 3 Flashcards

1
Q

Virus

A

smallest/simplest bio entities
* depends on host cell for replication and metabolism

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2
Q

Bacteria

A

Unicellular
* free-living (own metabolism etc.)
* simple morphologies conceal complex biochem and interactions

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3
Q

Fungi

A

Eukaryotes
* uni or multicellular
* macro and micro
* fruiting body vs. spores of mushrooms.

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4
Q

Protists

A

Eukaryotes
* Protozoa: animal-like (predatory)
* diverse, hard to classify (polyphiletic)

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5
Q

Algae

A

Eukaryotes
* plant-like protists
* photosynthetic

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6
Q

Algae or Protozoa?

A

Euglena
* photosynthetic processes AND
* hunt down prey

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7
Q

Robert Hooke 1664

A

Describes microscopic structure of blue moulds, using a 30x magnification microscope
* drawings

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8
Q

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 1684

A

develop powerful microscope (300x)
* first evidence of bacteria and protists

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9
Q

Louis Pasteur 1861

A

disproved the theory of spontaneous generation

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10
Q

Spontaneous Generation

A

the idea that non-living objects can give rise to living organisms

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11
Q

Robert Koch pioneered

A
  • staining methods for microscopy
  • use of solid growth media (agar)
  • Germ theory
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12
Q

Koch 1876

A

Definitive proof that microbes cause disease (i.e. germ theory)

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13
Q

Koch’s postulates

A

An organism that causes a disease must :
* Be found in all cases of the disease
* Be isolated from the diseased host in pure culture
* Produce same disease in experimentally-infected host
* Be re-isolated from the experimentally-infected host

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14
Q

Alexander Fleming 1928

A

Found mould growing on a petri dish that killed the bacteria (Staphylococcus) around it
* bacteria causative agent for pneumonia etc.

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15
Q

Howard Florey and Ernst Chain 1935-45

A

Purified penicillin and developed mass production methods
* first effective antibiotic
* helped Allies win WWII

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16
Q

Normal Flora

A
  • Found at specific sites
  • Specialised
  • Mostly bacteria
  • Acquired at birth, diet, environment
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17
Q

Positive effects of Normal Flora

A
  • ‘prime’ the immune system
  • provide nutritional benefits
  • compete with pathogens
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18
Q

Negative effects of Normal Flora

A
  • Can cause disease if moved to wrong location
  • Can cause disease even in normal location: if the habitat changes
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19
Q

obligate pathogens

A

are always harmful

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20
Q

opportunistic pathogens

A

cause disease in specific conditions
* Numbers – abnormally high cell density
* Location – wrong place
* Host health – immune system compromised
* Virulence factors – e.g. gain antibiotic resistance

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21
Q

One Health concept

A

consider animals, plants, and the environment when managing disease

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22
Q

MDR-TB

A

Multidrug resistant TB = bad

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23
Q

XDR-TB

A

Extensively drug-resistant TB = very bad

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24
Q

Microbes in food production

A
  • Rumen microbes help cows digest grass
  • Symbiotic fungi enhance plant growth
  • Soil microbes recycle wastes into nutrients
  • Decomposition
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25
Q

Microbes in food processing

A

Many foods require fermentation - flavour, preservative step etc.

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26
Q

Microbes in retail/restaurants

A

Some microbes are food sources
* (fungi, algae)
* Yeast
* Kelp, seaweed

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27
Q

microbes when eating

A

Gut microflora beneficial to health
* GI tract

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28
Q

Bad microbes in production

A
  • Pathogens infect animals and plants
  • Post-harvest contamination can ruin crops
  • Irrigation water can be contaminated with pathogens
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29
Q

bad microbes in processing

A

Factories can be contaminated

30
Q

bad microbes in distribution

A

Refrigeration needed to stop microbial growth

31
Q

Bad microbes in restaurants

A

Poor hygiene > food poisoning

32
Q

bad microbes while eating

A

Poor gut microbiome causes poor health

33
Q

Microbes maintain soil health by

A
  • Fixing nitrogen (N2 -> NH 4+)
  • Breaking down organic wastes > inorganic nutrients
  • Suppressing pathogens
  • Breaking down toxins e.g. pesticides
34
Q

Microbes enable animals to digest…

A

cellulose

35
Q

Cellulose

A

a sugar polymer, abundant in plants, carbon-rich, but difficult to digest

36
Q

Microbes promote plant growth via

A

mutualism

37
Q

Mutualism

A

Ecological interaction where both partners benefit

38
Q

Mycorrhizal fungi

A

enhance water + inorganic nutrient uptake > receive sugars from plant

39
Q

Rhizobium bacteria

A

fix nitrogen > receive sugars in return

40
Q

Tobacco mosaic virus

A

simple (3 genes)
* infect tobacco, tomato, cannabis
* cross-contamination

41
Q

Animal and plant pathogens impact

A
  • impact ~30% of total yield
  • impact ~20% animal production
42
Q

Foot-and-Mouth-Disease (FMD)

A

infect livestock
* UK outbreak: pigs fed waste products incl. meat illegally imported from infected animals

43
Q

Zoonosis

A

Human infection arising from animals

44
Q

how zoonosis cause disease

A
  • Microbe may be pathogenic to both animal and human hosts
  • Human pathogen may be normal flora for the animal
  • Animal is a ‘vector’ for disease
45
Q

Fermentation

A
  • microbial transformation of foods by fungi or bacteria
  • anaerobic metabolism of sugars alcohols, acids, CO2
46
Q

Microbial food spoilage

A

the growth of fungi or bacteria, and/or due to enzymes that these microbes make and secrete

47
Q

Food-borne infection

A

microbes grow in gut

47
Q

Food-borne intoxication

A

microbes make toxins in food

48
Q

Food ‘poisoning’ risk factors

A
  1. origins of food
  2. storage and prep
  3. human factors
49
Q

Gut microbiome depends on diet

A
  • High fibre diet: ↑ Bacteriodetes
  • High protein & fat diet: ↑ Firmicutes
50
Q

Healthy microbiome important for

A
  • Proper food digestion
  • Resistance to pathogens
  • Immune functioning
  • Mental health
51
Q

The vast majority of all biodiversity is

A

microbes

52
Q

The 4 laws of Ecology

A
  1. Everything is connected
  2. Everything must go somewhere
  3. Nature knows best
  4. There’s no such thing as a free lunch
53
Q

Autotroph

A

Self-feeder” – uses CO2 as carbon source
* algae
* sinks for CO2

54
Q

photoautotrophs

A

use light as energy source

55
Q

chemoautotrophs

A

use chemical energy sources

56
Q

Methanogens

A

Consume CO2 and H2, produce methane (CH4)
* archaea
* anaerobic
* bad

57
Q

Methanotrophs

A

Consume methane, produce CO2
* good
* heterotrophs
* bacteria
* degrade TCE

58
Q

Heterotroph

A

Other-feeder” – needs to eat other organisms, or other organic carbon sources; these also supply energy
* SOURCES of CO2

59
Q

Decomposers

A

Recycle dead cells back to CO2
* heterotrophs
* fungi

60
Q

Predators

A

Protozoa
* motility
* Amoebae engulfing bacteria

61
Q

Pollutant degraders

A

Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (including methanotrophs) are very useful for “bioremediation

62
Q

Bioremediation

A

the cleanup of pollution by microbes

63
Q

Coral symbiosis

A
  • algae (photoautotrophs)
  • coral (heterotrophs)
64
Q

Lichen symbiosis

A
  • Heterotrophic fungus: Helps feed algae with inorganic nutrients , anchor
  • Autotrophic algae
65
Q

Cellular biotechnology

A
  • Need some biology skills (esp. microbiology)
  • Don’t need understanding of DNA, RNA, proteins
66
Q

Molecular biotechnology

A
  • Need high-level biology skills (esp. microbiology)
  • AND need understanding of DNA, RNA, proteins
67
Q

Biotech processes - what do we need to provide?

A

The host cell factory needs instructions or a blueprint to tell it which products to make
* instructions = add DNA !

68
Q

Plasmids

A

circular DNA elements found in microbes; replicate independently of the chromosome(s)
* Vectors

69
Q

Key features of plasmids used for biotech

A
  • ORI: Replication functions. Ensures persistence in host
  • amp: Selectable marker. Enables us to force cells to take up plasmid
  • lacZa: Cloning site. Add foreign genes here
70
Q

Tools needed for DNA cloning

A
  • Copying: Thermostable polymerase
  • Cutting: Restriction enzyme
  • Joining: T4 ligase
71
Q

Vaccines may consist of…

A
  1. Live attenuated microbes - No longer causes serious disease - Risks
  2. Killed microbes - Not as pure
  3. Antigens (proteins) produced in a GMO host
  4. mRNA coding for antigens - Developed in the last two years