Chapter 1 Vocab Flashcards
(57 cards)
emerging diseases
newly identified diseases that are becoming more prominent
pathogens
any agent- usually a virus, bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or helminth - that infects body tissues and causes disease
bioremediation
the use of microbes to reduce or degrade pollutants, industrial wastes, and household garbage
genetic engineering
a field involving deliberate alterations of the genomes of microbes, plants, and animals through special technological processes
microbiology
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
microscopic
invisible to the naked eye
microorganisms
a living things ordinarily too small to be seen without magnification; an organism of microscopic size
microbes
an organism of microscopic size
bacteria
category of prokaryotes with peptidoglycan in their cell walls and a single, circular chromosome. this group of small cells is widely distributed in the earths habitats
viruses
microscopic, acellular agent composed of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat
fungi
heterotrophic unicellular or multicellular eukaryotic organisms that may take the form of a larger macroscopic organism, as in the case of mushrooms, or a smaller microscopic organism as in the case of yeasts and molds
protozoa
a group of single-celled , eukaryotic organisms that feed on other cells and usually have a locomotor organelle
algae
photosynthetic, plantlike organisms that generally lack the complex structure of plants; they may be single-celled or multicellular and inhabit diverse habitats such as marine and freshwater environments. glaciers and hot springs
helminths
a term that designates parasitic worms such as roundworms and flatworms
macroscopic
visible to the naked eye
adaptability
the ability of successfully adjusting to a new environment, often made possible by random genetic changes that provide an advantage under changed environmental conditions
immunology
the study of internal body defenses that protect against infection. This includes phagocytosis, inflammation and acquired immunities
epidemiology
the study of the factors affecting the prevalence and spread of disease within a community
biotechnology
the use of organisms (microbes, plants, animals) or their products in the commercial or industrial realm
infectious
the entry, establishment and multiplication of pathogenic organisms within a host
prokaryote
small cell lacking special structures such as a nucleus and organelles. all prokaryotes are microorgansims
eukaryote
a cell that has s nuclear membrane, membrane-bounded sub-cellular organelles and mitotic cell division
parasites
a close interaction in which one organism lives on or within another organism, from which it obtains nutrients and receives protection. The parasite produces some degree of harm to the host
hosts
