intro to microbiology

Question 1

what is microbiology

Answer 1

the study of microbes/microorganisms that are usually too small to be seen with the unaided eye

Question 2

what types of organisms are studies in microbiology

Answer 2

bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae, viruses

Question 3

which organisms that we study are acellular

Answer 3

viruses, viroids, satellites, prions

Question 4

which organisms that we study are cellular

Answer 4

bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists

Question 5

what are viruses composed of

Answer 5

protein and nucleic acid

Question 6

what are viroids composed of

Answer 6

RNA

Question 7

what are satellites composed of

Answer 7

nucleic acid enclosed in a protein shell

Question 8

what are prions composed of

Answer 8

protein

Question 9

how big is the average microbe

Answer 9

1mm or less in diameter

Question 10

what is a microbe called when it’s bigger than 1mm (ie visible without a microscope)

Answer 10

macroscopic microbe

Question 11

what are the characteristics of macroscopic microbes

Answer 11

they’re multicellular but lack differentiated tissues

Question 12

list the (outdated) five kingdoms

Answer 12

monera, protista, fungi, anamalia, and plantae

Question 13

why is the kingdom system no longer accepted

Answer 13

prokaryotes are too diverse to group them together in a single kingdom (monera)

Question 14

describe the universal phylogenetic tree

Answer 14

separated into three groups: bacteria, archaea, and eukarya

Question 15

T or F: most members of the bacteria domain are single-celled

Answer 15

true

Question 16

T or F: most members of the bacteria domain have cell walls

Answer 16

true

Question 17

what are the cell walls of bacteria made up of

Answer 17

peptidoglycan

Question 18

do bacteria cause disease? explain their role in the human body

Answer 18

most bacteria do not cause disease, but instead they’re major inhabitants of our bodies, forming the human microbiome

Question 19

what are some roles of bacteria in the human body

Answer 19

they contribute to the development of the immune system + they help us digest food and produce vitamins

Question 20

how are members of the archaea domain distinguished from bacteria

Answer 20

they have distinct rRNA sequences, cell walls, and membrane lipids

Question 21

T or F: some archaea can generate natural gas (methane)

Answer 21

true

Question 22

what types of environments are archaea usually found in

Answer 22

extreme environments: high temp or high salt concentrations

Question 23

what does the eukarya domain encompass

Answer 23

plants, animals, protists, fungi

Question 24

describe protists

Answer 24

unicellular but larger than most bacteria and archaea

Question 25

describe fungi (ie their number of cells)

Answer 25

can be unicellular (yeasts) or multicellular (molds and mushrooms)

Question 26

how many cells do viruses have

Answer 26

viruses are acellular

Question 27

what are viruses/how do they multiply

Answer 27

entities that must invade a host cell to multiply

Question 28

how do satellites complete their life cycles

Answer 28

they must coinfect a host cell with a virus (called a helper virus)

Question 29

what do prions do

Answer 29

they're responsible for causing neurological diseases

Question 30

describe the binomial naming system

Answer 30

Genus + specific epithet - genus = capitalized - name is underlined or italicized - names are latinized

Question 31

what is the average bacterial size

Answer 31

1 um by 2-6 um

Question 32

what are the two most common bacterial shapes

Answer 32

cocci and rods

Question 33

what shape are cocci

Answer 33

spherical

Question 34

what are diplococci

Answer 34

pairs of cocci (ie two spheres together)

Question 35

when do we get long chains of cocci

Answer 35

when cells adhere after repeated divisions

Question 36

in which genera of bacteria do we see long chains of cocci

Answer 36

streptococcus, enterococcus, and lactococcus (note: these should be underlined or italicized)

Question 37

in which genus do we see grapelike clusters

Answer 37

staphylococcus (italicized)

Question 38

what is another name for rods

Answer 38

bacilli

Question 39

which bacteria is comma-shaped

Answer 39

vibrios

Question 40

which bacteria are rigid and spiral-shaped

Answer 40

spirilla

Question 41

define what it means for a bacteria to be pleomorphic

Answer 41

it's variable in shape and lacks a single form

Question 42

what are hyphae

Answer 42

long filaments that some bacteria can form

Question 43

what can hyphae form

Answer 43

a network called a mycelium

Question 44

define mycelium

Answer 44

a network made up of hyphae, which are long filaments that bacteria can form

Question 45

what does being filamentous allow for bacterial cells

Answer 45

allows for some degree of differentiation among cells in the filament

Question 46

where is the cell envelope on a cell

Answer 46

surrounds the cell + is several layers

Question 47

what does the cell envelope include

Answer 47

PM, cell wall, and capsule or slime layer

Question 48

what is the innermost layer of the envelope

Answer 48

PM

Question 49

what is the role of the PM

Answer 49

surrounds the cytoplasm

Question 50

what layer covers the PM

Answer 50

cell wall

Question 51

what layer surrounds the cell wall

Answer 51

capsule or slime layer

Question 52

describe the interior of a bacterial cell

Answer 52

simple, since there are no membrane-bound organelles

Question 53

where is the genetic material of a bacterial cell located

Answer 53

in the nucleoid

Question 54

T or F: there is a membrane around the nucleoid of a bacterial cell

Answer 54

false! the nucleoid has no membrane, so it is not separated from the surrounding cytoplasm

Question 55

what two things can be found in the cytoplasm of a bacterial cell

Answer 55

ribosomes and inclusions

Question 56

what can be found protruding from the surface of a bacterial cell

Answer 56

pili

Question 57

what is the role of pili

Answer 57

aid in attachment to other surfaces

Question 58

what is the role of flagella

Answer 58

locomotion

Question 59

where are flagella on a bacterial cell

Answer 59

they're positioned like a tail on one end of the bacterium