Chapter 1 Flashcards
(28 cards)
What is the definition of microbiology
study of organisms too small to be seen without a microscope
What are some useful aspects of microbiology?
identify how microorganisms cause disease, discover cures for diseases, industrial purposes
What is thought to be the origin of microbes?
4 billion years ago in a hot chemical rich broth
How are microbes involved in energy and nutrient flow?
help the flow of energy and food through the earth’s ecosystems, ie. photosynthesis, decomposition
What can our knowledge of microorganisms help humans accomplish?
produce food, make new drugs, creating new agricultural products
What is bioremediation?
introducing microorganisms to other forms of life to consume and break down pollutants/ remedy an environmental problem
What is genetic engineering? What are some useful aspects of genetic engineering?
manipulating the genes of organisms to make new products
What are pathogens? How many pathogens are there? Worldwide, how do they affect humans?
microbes that do harm; around 2,000 different microbes, one billion infections worldwide; includes HIV/AIDS, malaria, influenza measles
What are the basic characteristics of microorganisms?
unicellular, multicellular, cell clusters
What are the six types of microorganisms?
bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, helminths (worms), algae
What size are bacteria? Viruses? Other microbes?
bacteria: 0.2-2.0 μm, viruses: 20-200 nm, other: 1-5 μm
What are some examples of lifestyles of microorganisms?
majority are relatively harmless, essential to life, live everywhere
What are some prominent discoveries by microbiologists?
aseptic techniques to reduce microbes, germ theory
Who first observed microorganisms using a rudimentary microscope?
Antonio van Leeuwenhoek
What is the scientific method? How is it useful?
An approach to explain a phenomenon; it either supports or refuses a hypothesis after extensive research and experiments
What is the germ theory of disease? What did its discovery cause to happen?
diseases are caused by the growth of microbes in body, not by sin, poverty, ect.
What are endospores? What is sterilization? Who discovered endospores?
allows bacteria to a cell to preserve the genetic material in times of stress; process that removes and kills pathogens or other forms of life ; endospores discovered by Koch
Who noticed that a home birth was safer than a hospital birth?
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Who advocated hand washing between autopsies and delivering babies?
Ignaz Semmelweis
Who advised the use of disinfectants to prevent surgical infections?
Joseph Lister
List at least three contributions that Pasteur made to early microbiology.
demonstrated the germ theory of disease, disapproved spontaneous generation of microorganisms, developed pasteurization (heating liquid to kill pathogens)
spontaneous generation
forms of life arise from decomposing matter or forces present in non-living substances
What is biogenesis
life comes from similar life forms
What discoveries did Koch make? What are Koch’s postulates?
sequence of experiments that verified the germ theory
