MCPHS MICROBIOLOGY TEST 1 VERIFIED STUDY GUIDE
microorganisms - Answers - Small, living organisms not visible to the naked eye
Pathogens - Answers - Microorganisms that cause disease states
Non-pathogens - Answers - Microorganisms that do not cause disease
May be beneficial
Bacteria - Answers - Free-living, single celled organism
Virus - Answers - Intracellular organism, incapable of reproducing outside of the cell
Prion - Answers - Infectious agent composed of proteinaceous material
Fungi - Answers - Eukaryotic organisms, single or multicellular, often found in soil or on
plant matter
Protozoa - Answers - Single celled organisms, often colonizing moist environments
Pathogenesis - Answers - Ability of a microbe to produce disease
True pathogens - Answers - organisms able to cause disease in a healthy immune-
competent individual
Opportunistic pathogens - Answers - organisms that cause disease in immune-
compromised individuals
Virulence - Answers - Relative ability of a microorganism to cause disease or the
degree of pathogenicity
Saprophytes - Answers - Free-living organism that grows on dead or decaying organic
material
Generally unable to produce disease
Parasites - Answers - Survive on living host & derive nutrition from the host without any
benefit to the host
Cannot survive independently
Commensal Parasite - Answers - harmless parasite
microorganisms - Answers - Small, living organisms not visible to the naked eye
Pathogens - Answers - Microorganisms that cause disease states
Non-pathogens - Answers - Microorganisms that do not cause disease
May be beneficial
Bacteria - Answers - Free-living, single celled organism
Virus - Answers - Intracellular organism, incapable of reproducing outside of the cell
Prion - Answers - Infectious agent composed of proteinaceous material
Fungi - Answers - Eukaryotic organisms, single or multicellular, often found in soil or on
plant matter
Protozoa - Answers - Single celled organisms, often colonizing moist environments
Pathogenesis - Answers - Ability of a microbe to produce disease
True pathogens - Answers - organisms able to cause disease in a healthy immune-
competent individual
Opportunistic pathogens - Answers - organisms that cause disease in immune-
compromised individuals
Virulence - Answers - Relative ability of a microorganism to cause disease or the
degree of pathogenicity
Saprophytes - Answers - Free-living organism that grows on dead or decaying organic
material
Generally unable to produce disease
Parasites - Answers - Survive on living host & derive nutrition from the host without any
benefit to the host
Cannot survive independently
Commensal Parasite - Answers - harmless parasite
