Chapter 1: Introduction to Microbes and Their Building Blocks

Question 1

A specialized area of biology that deals with living things ordinarily too small to be seen without magnification, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and viruses.

Answer 1

Microbiology

Question 2

Invisible to the naked eye

Answer 2

Microscopic

Question 3

A living thing ordinarily too small to be seen without magnification; an organism of microscopic.

Answer 3

Microorganisms

Question 4

Prokaryotic single celled organisms of primitive origin that have unusual anatomy, physiology, and genetics, and live in harsh habitats.

Answer 4

Archae

Question 5

Macroscopic and microscopic heterotrophic eukaryotic organisms that can be uni- or multicellular.

Answer 5

Fungi

Question 6

A group of single-celled eukaryotic organisms

Answer 6

Protozoa

Question 7

A term that designates all parasitic worms

Answer 7

Helminths

Question 8

Microscopic, acellular agent composed of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat.

Answer 8

Viruses

Question 9

A concocted word to denote “proteinaceous infectious agent”, a cytopathic protein associated with the slow-virus spongiform encephalopathies of humans and animals.

Answer 9

Prions

Question 10

A cell that differs from a prokaryotic cell chiefly by having a nuclear membrane, membrane-bound subcellular organelles, and mitotic cell division.

Answer 10

Eukaryotic

Question 11

Small cells lacking special structures such as a nucleus and organelles. All are microorganisms.

Answer 11

Prokaryotes

Question 12

Present everywhere at the same time

Answer 12

Ubiquitous

Question 13

A designation for bacteria and archaea

Answer 13

Akaryotes

Question 14

Scientific principle that states that living things change gradually through hundreds of millions of years, and these changes are expressed in structural and functional adaptations in each organism. Evolution presumes that those traits that favor survival are preserved and passed on to following generations, and those traits that do not favor survival are lost.

Answer 14

Evolution

Question 15

The evidence cited to explain how evolution occurs.

Answer 15

Theory of Evolution

Question 16

A process occurring in plants, algae, and some bacteria that traps the sun’s energy and converts it to ATP in the cell, this energy is used to fix CO2 into organic compounds.

Answer 16

Photosynthesis

Question 17

The intentional use by humans of living organisms or their products to accomplish a goal related to health or the environment.

Answer 17

Biotechnology

Question 18

A field involving deliberate alterations of the genomes of microbes, plants, and animals through special technological processes.

Answer 18

Genetic Engineering

Question 19

A technology, also known as genetic engineering, that deliberately modifies the genetic structure of an organism to create novel products, microbes, animals, plants, and viruses

Answer 19

Recombinant DNA Technology

Question 20

Decomposition of harmful chemicals by microbes or consortia of microbes or insects.

Answer 20

Bioremediation

Question 21

Any agent that causes disease

Answer 21

Pathogens

Question 22

The state of damage or toxicity in the body caused by an infectious agent.

Answer 22

Infectious Disease

Question 23

A small component of eukaryotic cells that is bounded by a membrane and specialized in function.

Answer 23

Organelles

Question 24

Early belief that living things arose from vital forces present in nonliving, or decomposing, matter

Answer 24

Spontaneous Generation

Question 25

The belief in spontaneous generation as a source of life

Answer 25

Abiogenesis

Question 26

Belief that living things can only arise from others of the same kind

Answer 26

Biogenesis

Question 27

Completely free of all life forms, including spores and viruses

Answer 27

Sterile

Question 28

Method of handling microbial cultures, patient specimens, and other sources of microbes in a way that prevents infection of the handler and others who may have been exposed

Answer 28

Aseptic Techniques

Question 29

Large, molecular compounds assembled from smaller subunits, most notably biochemicals.

Answer 29

Macromolecules

Question 30

A simple molecule that can be linked by chemical bonds to form larger molecules.

Answer 30

Monomers

Question 31

A macromolecule made up of a chain of repeating units; starch, protein, DNA

Answer 31

Polymers

Question 32

A compound containing primarily carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a 1:2:1 ratio

Answer 32

Carbohydrate

Question 33

A 6-carbon sugar such as glucose and fructose

Answer 33

Hexoses

Question 34

A monosaccharide with five carbon atoms per molecule; arabinose, ribose, xylose

Answer 34

Pentoses

Question 35

One of the carbohydrates commonly referred to as sugars. characterized by 6-carbon structure.

Answer 35

Glucose

Question 36

One of the carbohydrates commonly known as sugars. Commonly a fruit sugar

Answer 36

Fructose

Question 37

One of the carbohydrates commonly referred to as sugars. Commonly found in milk

Answer 37

Lactose

Question 38

One of the carbohydrates referred to as sugars. A fermentable sugar formed from starch.

Answer 38

Maltose

Question 39

One of the carbohydrates referred to as sugars. Common table or can sugar.

Answer 39

Sucrose

Question 40

A long, fibrous polymer composed of β -glucose; one of the most common substances on earth

Answer 40

Cellulose

Question 41

A polysaccharide found in seaweed and commonly used to prepare solid culture media.

Answer 41

Agar

Question 42

A network of polysaccharide chains cross-linked by short peptides that forms the rigid part of bacterial cell walls. Gram-negative bacteria have a smaller amount of this rigid structure than do gram-positive bacteria.

Answer 42

peptidoglycan

Question 42

A polysaccharide similar to cellulose in chemical structure. This polymer makes up the horny substance of the exoskeletons of arthropods and certain fungi.

Answer 42

Chitin

Question 43

A molecular complex of lipid and carbohydrate found in the bacterial cell wall. The gram-negative bacteria are an endotoxin with generalized pathologic effects such as fever.

Answer 43

Lipopolysaccharide

Question 44

A filamentous network of carbohydrate-rich molecules that coats cells.

Answer 44

Glycocalyx

Question 45

A type of lipid composed of glycerol molecule bound to three fatty acids.

Answer 45

Triglycerides

Question 46

A 3-carbon alcohol, with three OH groups that serve as binding sites.

Answer 46

Glycerol

Question 47

Best-known member of a group of lipids called steroids. Commonly found in cell membranes and animal hormones.

Answer 47

Cholesterol

Question 48

Predominant organic molecule in cells, formed by longs chains of amino acids.

Answer 48

Proteins

Question 49

The building blocks of protein. Exist in 20 naturally occurring forms that impart different characteristics to the various proteins they compose.

Answer 49

Amino Acid

Question 50

Molecule composed of short chains of amino acids, such as a dipeptide (two amino acids), a tripeptide (3), and a tetrapeptide (4)

Answer 50

Peptide

Question 51

A relatively large chain of amino acids linked by peptide bond.

Answer 51

Polypeptide

Question 52

Initial protein organization described by type, number, and order of amino acids in the chain. This varies extensively from protein to protein.

Answer 52

Primary Structure

Question 53

Protein structure that occurs when the functional groups on the outer surface of the molecule interact by forming hydrogen bonds. These bonds cause the amino acid chain to either twist, forming a helix, or pleat into an accordion pattern called a β- pleated sheet.

Answer 53

Secondary Structure

Question 54

Protein structure that results from additional bonds forming between functional groups in a secondary structure, creating a three-dimensional mass.

Answer 54

Tertiary Structure

Question 55

A nonessential amino acid that is related to the essential amino acid cystine.

Answer 55

Cysteine

Question 56

Most complex protein structure, characterized by the formation of large, multiunit proteins by more than one of the polypeptides. This structure is typical of antibodies and some enzymes that act in cell synthesis.

Answer 56

Quaternary Structure

Question 57

A protein biocatalyst that facilitates metabolic reactions

Answer 57

Enzymes

Question 58

A large protein molecule evoked in response to an antigen that interacts specifically with that antigen.

Answer 58

Antibodies

Question 59

A polymeric strand of nucleotides; exist in two forms; ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Answer 59

Nucleic Acid

Question 60

A nucleotide that is the primary source of energy to cells.

Answer 60

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

Question 61

The formal system for organizing, classifying, and naming living things.

Answer 61

Taxomy

Question 62

Scientific method of assigning names to organisms that employs two names to identify every organism genus name plus species name.

Answer 62

Binomial System

Question 63

In the levels of classification, the broadest general category to which an organism is assigned. Members of this chare only one of a few general characteristics.

Answer 63

Domain

Question 64

In the levels of classification, the second division from more general to more specific.

Answer 64

Kingdom

Question 65

In the levels of classification, the third level of classification from general to more specific. Divided into numerous divisions.

Answer 65

Phylum

Question 66

In the levels of classification, an alternate term for phylum.

Answer 66

Division

Question 67

In the levels of classification, the division of organisms that follows phylum.

Answer 67

Class

Question 68

In the levels of classification, the division of organisms that follows class. Increasing similarity may be noticed among organisms assigned to the same.

Answer 68

Order

Question 69

In the levels of classification, a midlevel division of organisms that groups more closely related organisms than previous levels.

Answer 69

Family

Question 70

In the levels of classification, the most specific level of organization.

Answer 70

Species

Question 70

In the levels of classification, the second-most-specific level.

Answer 70

Genus

Question 71

One of the three domains of living organisms that contains all eukaryotes.

Answer 71

Eukarya

Question 72

Category of prokaryotes with peptidoglycan in their cell walls and circular chromosomes. This group of small cells is widely distributed in the earth's habitats.

Answer 72

Bacteria

Answer 73

saccharide

Answer 74

monosaccharide

Answer 75

disaccharides

Answer 76

peptide bond

Answer 77

nitrogen base

Answer 78

phosphate

Answer 79

Adenine

Answer 80

Guanine

Answer 81

Thymine

Answer 82

Cytosine

Answer 83

Uracil