MICROBIOLOGY FOR SURGICAL TECHNOLOGISTS CHAPTER 6
KEY TERMS
1. ALKALINE - Correct substance with the properties of an alkali; base with a pH greater than 7.
2. AUTOINDUCERS - Molecular chemical signals emitted from bacteria as a component of quorum-
sensing communication within or between bacterial colonies which leads to alterations in gene
expressions and regulation of physiologic processes in response to environmental conditions.
Also known as pheromones.
3. BIOFILMS –Microbial (typically bacterial) colonies that combine into dense colonies that adhere
to surfaces and resist penetration or destruction by antibiotic therapy.
4. BIOLEACHING - Innovative method of extracting precious and base metals from ore by use of
bacterial microorganisms rather than traditional heap leaching and smelting methods which
produce large amounts of environmental pollutants.
5. DENATURED –Loss, alteration, or inactivation of the natural qualities of a substance; enzymes
denatured by heat or change in pH become inactive; denatured alcohol becomes unfit for
human consumption while retaining its other functional properties; egg albumin is denatured by
cooking and becomes solid or white.
6. DESSICATOR –A specialized laboratory container or chamber which removes water from
chemicals, tissues, or other substances by use of dehydrating chemicals such as silica gel,
sodium hydroxide, or calcium chloride and maintains a dry environment.
7. EQUILIBRIUM –A state or condition of balance where competing forces are equal to one
another.
8. GAS GANGRENE - A serious infection caused by Clostridium perfringens in which the bacterial
cells enter through an opening in the skin caused by traumatic injury or surgical skin incision; the
KEY TERMS
1. ALKALINE - Correct substance with the properties of an alkali; base with a pH greater than 7.
2. AUTOINDUCERS - Molecular chemical signals emitted from bacteria as a component of quorum-
sensing communication within or between bacterial colonies which leads to alterations in gene
expressions and regulation of physiologic processes in response to environmental conditions.
Also known as pheromones.
3. BIOFILMS –Microbial (typically bacterial) colonies that combine into dense colonies that adhere
to surfaces and resist penetration or destruction by antibiotic therapy.
4. BIOLEACHING - Innovative method of extracting precious and base metals from ore by use of
bacterial microorganisms rather than traditional heap leaching and smelting methods which
produce large amounts of environmental pollutants.
5. DENATURED –Loss, alteration, or inactivation of the natural qualities of a substance; enzymes
denatured by heat or change in pH become inactive; denatured alcohol becomes unfit for
human consumption while retaining its other functional properties; egg albumin is denatured by
cooking and becomes solid or white.
6. DESSICATOR –A specialized laboratory container or chamber which removes water from
chemicals, tissues, or other substances by use of dehydrating chemicals such as silica gel,
sodium hydroxide, or calcium chloride and maintains a dry environment.
7. EQUILIBRIUM –A state or condition of balance where competing forces are equal to one
another.
8. GAS GANGRENE - A serious infection caused by Clostridium perfringens in which the bacterial
cells enter through an opening in the skin caused by traumatic injury or surgical skin incision; the
