Bacteria_Terms_II study guide verified to pass 2026
antibiotic indifference - action of one antibiotic is not affected by the presence of another
intrinsic resistance - innate ability of a microorganism to resist the effects of an antibiotic
L forms - strains of bacteria that lack cell walls
Latent - present in the body without causing disease, but capable of doing so at a later stage
M protein - a surface protein present on strep bacteria that prevents white blood cells from
engulfing and destroying the bacteria
minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) - the lowest concentration of an antimicrobial that
will inhibit the visible growth of a microorganism after overnight incubation
murein – peptidoglycan
mycolic acid - any of several hydroxy fatty acids that have very long branched chains and are
obtained especially from the wax of the tubercle bacillus
necrotizing fasciitis - an acute disease in which inflammation of the fasciae of muscles or
other organs results in rapid destruction of overlying tissues
O antigen - somatic antigen of enteric gram-negative bacteria; external part of cell wall
lipopolysaccharide
oxygen-tolerant anaerobes - bacteria that cannot use oxygen for growth, but tolerate its
presence
paroxysmal stage - characterized by bursts of coughing, or numerous rapid coughs,
apparently due to difficulty expelling thick mucus from the airways of the lungs
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - inflammation of the female genital tract, accompanied by
fever and lower abdominal pain
pharmacodynamics - the branch of pharmacology concerned with the effects of drugs and
the mechanism of their action
phase variation - the reversible ability of some bacteria to turn on and off the expression of
genes coding for surface antigens
pili - short curled hairlike processes on the surface of certain bacteria that are involved in
conjugation and the attachment of the bacteria to other cells
Q fever - an infectious fever caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, which may be
transmitted to humans from cattle, sheep, and other domesticated animals
Septicemia - blood poisoning caused by the presence of bacteria
Spirochete - a flexible spirally twisted bacterium
strict anaerobes - bacteria that grow only in the absence of oxygen
antibiotic synergism - the ability of two or more antibiotics to work better together than the
sum of their individual activities
toxemia - blood poisoning by toxins from a local bacterial infection
antibiotic indifference - action of one antibiotic is not affected by the presence of another
intrinsic resistance - innate ability of a microorganism to resist the effects of an antibiotic
L forms - strains of bacteria that lack cell walls
Latent - present in the body without causing disease, but capable of doing so at a later stage
M protein - a surface protein present on strep bacteria that prevents white blood cells from
engulfing and destroying the bacteria
minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) - the lowest concentration of an antimicrobial that
will inhibit the visible growth of a microorganism after overnight incubation
murein – peptidoglycan
mycolic acid - any of several hydroxy fatty acids that have very long branched chains and are
obtained especially from the wax of the tubercle bacillus
necrotizing fasciitis - an acute disease in which inflammation of the fasciae of muscles or
other organs results in rapid destruction of overlying tissues
O antigen - somatic antigen of enteric gram-negative bacteria; external part of cell wall
lipopolysaccharide
oxygen-tolerant anaerobes - bacteria that cannot use oxygen for growth, but tolerate its
presence
paroxysmal stage - characterized by bursts of coughing, or numerous rapid coughs,
apparently due to difficulty expelling thick mucus from the airways of the lungs
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - inflammation of the female genital tract, accompanied by
fever and lower abdominal pain
pharmacodynamics - the branch of pharmacology concerned with the effects of drugs and
the mechanism of their action
phase variation - the reversible ability of some bacteria to turn on and off the expression of
genes coding for surface antigens
pili - short curled hairlike processes on the surface of certain bacteria that are involved in
conjugation and the attachment of the bacteria to other cells
Q fever - an infectious fever caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, which may be
transmitted to humans from cattle, sheep, and other domesticated animals
Septicemia - blood poisoning caused by the presence of bacteria
Spirochete - a flexible spirally twisted bacterium
strict anaerobes - bacteria that grow only in the absence of oxygen
antibiotic synergism - the ability of two or more antibiotics to work better together than the
sum of their individual activities
toxemia - blood poisoning by toxins from a local bacterial infection
