Microbial Taxonomy

Question 1

the science of biological classification.

Answer 1

Taxonomy

Question 2

the study of the diversity of organisms and their evolutionary relationships.

Answer 2

Systematics or Phylogeny

Question 3

means of assigning an organism to a specific taxonomic category.

Answer 3

Dichotomous Key

Question 4

an ordered group of taxonomic ranks used to classify organisms from general to specific.

Answer 4

Taxonomic categories or hierarchy

Question 5

List down the Taxonomic Categories

Answer 5

Domain (Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya)
Kingdom (contains similar divisions or phyla; most inclusive taxa
Phylum (contains similar classes; equivalent to the division taxa in botany)
Class (contains similar orders)
Order (contains similar families)
Family (contains similar genera)
Genus (contains similar species)
Species (specific epithet; most exclusive taxa

Question 6

What are the major taxonomic characteristics

Answer 6

Morphological characters
Physiological characters
Geographic and behavioural characters
Molecular characters

Question 7

What are the components of Taxonomy

Answer 7

Classification
Nomenclature
Identification

Question 8

Taxa are classified based on the similarities in phenotypic (phenetic) characteristics which are expressed in an organism and can be examined visually or can be tested by other means.

Answer 8

Classification

Question 9

The process of determining a particular (organism) that belongs to a recognized taxon; the process by which a microorganism’s key features are delineated.

Answer 9

Identification

Question 10

What is Identification?

Answer 10

the process of determining a particular (organism) that belongs to a recognized taxon; the process by which a microorganism’s key features are delineated.

Question 11

What is Classification?

Answer 11

Taxa are classified based on the similarities in phenotypic (phenetic) characteristics which are expressed in an organism and can be examined visually or can be tested by other means.
(how do you classify, in terms of similarities, types)

Question 12

A branch of taxonomy concerned with assigning names to taxonomic groups in agreement with published rules.

Answer 12

Nomenclature

Question 13

Nomenclature

Answer 13

A branch of taxonomy concerned with assigning names to taxonomic groups in agreement with published rules.

Question 14

What are the systems of classification? give their definition as well.

Answer 14

Artificial Systems – share the same characteristics but they are not closely related to one another genetically.
Natural System – with many of the same characteristics and highly predictive.
Phylogenic (Phyletic) System – Classifying organisms based on descent from a common ancestor.

Question 15

What are the methods of Classification? give their definition as well.

Answer 15

Phenotypic (Phenetic) Classification System – Groups do not necessarily reflect genetic similarity or evolutionary relatedness. Instead, groups are based on convenient, observable characteristics.
Genotypic classification System – Considers the characteristics of the genome

Question 16

Groups of the population that can potentially interbreed freely within and among themselves.
Collection of bacterial strains that share common physiology and genetic features and differ notably from other microbial species.

Answer 16

Species

Question 17

A taxonomic subgroup within a species.

Answer 17

Subspecies

Question 18

A population of cells derived from a single parent cell and identical.

Answer 18

Clone

Question 19

Take note of this and memorize!

Answer 19

A strain that came from pure cultures of the same species is not identical in all ways.

Question 20

What are the types of Strain?

Answer 20

Serovar
Biovar (biotype)
Morphovar (morphotype)
Isolate

Question 21

A strain differentiated by serological means. Strains vary in their antigenic properties

Answer 21

Serovar

Question 22

Strains that are differentiated by biochemical or other non-serological means.

Answer 22

Biovar (biotype)

Question 23

A strain which is differentiated based on morphological distinctions.

Answer 23

Morphovar (morphotype)

Question 24

A pure culture derived from a heterogeneous, wild population of microorganisms.

Answer 24

Isolate

Question 25

What are the strain differentiation methods

Answer 25

Protein Profile
Immunological Reaction
Flow Cytometry
Phage typing

Question 26

He introduced a formal system of classification dividing living organisms into two kingdoms. Plantae and Animalia.

Answer 26

Carolus Linnaeus

Question 27

Take note of this and memorize!

Answer 27

Every organism is assigned a genus and a species of Latin or Greek derivation by the addition of the appropriate suffix.

Question 28

Take note of this and memorize!

Answer 28

The naming of microorganisms according to established rules and guidelines outlined in the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB) or the Bacteriological Code (BC).

Question 29

Rules governing microbial nomenclature are limited to two taxa. What are those two taxa?

Answer 29

Genera and species known as Binomial Nomenclature.

Question 30

Try to differentiate Genotype and Phenotype

Answer 30

Genotype
Definition: The set of genes in our DNA which are responsible for a particular trait
Characterized by: Genotyping techniques such as WGS
Depends on: the gene sequences an organism possesses
Inherited? Yes
Example: Genes encoding eye color

Phenotype
Definition: An organism’s observable characteristics and traits
Characterized by: Observing an organism’s outward characteristics
Depends on: Genotype, PLUS epigenetics and environmental factors
Inherited? No
Example: An individual with brown eyes

Question 31

Relate to an organism’s genetic makeup, including the nature of the organism’s genes and constituent nucleic acids.

Answer 31

Genotypic characteristics

Question 32

Are based on features beyond the genetic level, including both readily observable characteristics and features that may require extensive analytic procedures to be detected.

Answer 32

Phenotypic characteristics