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Pathogens - any agent-usually a virus-bacterium, fungus, protozoan, or helminth-that
causes disease
Decomposers - a consumer that feeds on organic matter from the bodies of dead
organisms. These microorganisms feed from all levels of the food pyramid and are responsible
for recycling elements (also called "saprobes")
Genetic Engineering - a field involving deliberate alterations (recombinations) of the
genomes of microbes, plants, and animals through special technological processes.
Biotechnology - the use of microbes or their products in the commercial or industrial
realm.
Characteristics of Viruses - 1) Obligate, intracellular parasites of bacteria, protozoa, algae,
fungi, plants, and animals
2) acellular: not cell-like
3) ultra-microscopic
4) do not have characteristics of life
5) inactive while outside host cell
6) Basic structure consists of protein shell (capsid) which surrounds a nucleic acid (core)
7) Nucleic acid can be either DNA or RNA (never both)
8) Nucleic acid can be ssDNA, dsDNA, ssRNA, dsRNA
9) Viruses are specific to host cells (specificity)
10) Multiplies by taking control of host cell's metabolic activities
Phylogeny - the evolutionary development and diversification of a species or group of
organisms, or of a particular feature of an organism
Helminthes - all parasitic worms
Taxonomic Hierarchy - -Domain
-Kingdom
, -Phylum
-Class
-Order
-Family
-Genus
-Species
Bioremediation - the introduction of bacteria into the environment as a way to restore
stability
6 I's - -Inoculation
-Incubation
-Isolation
-Inspection
-Information Gathering
-Identification
Inoculation - introduction of a sample into a container of media to produce a culture
Incubation - under conditions that allow growth
Isolation - separating species from one another. A colony consists one of species. An
Isolation technique may involve a Streak plate, pour plate, or spread plate
Inspection - Observing microbes both macro and microscopically
Information Gathering - testing of microbes with procedures that analyze biochemistry
and enzyme characteristics, immunologic reactions, drug sensitivity, and genetic makeup
Identification - Analysis of the collected data; accomplished by a variety of schemes
Types of Microbial Media - -liquid (broth)/semi-solid (slant)/solid media (agar
plates)/Nutrient Agar Plate/Non-Synthetic/Natural Media/Enriched
Media/Fastidious/Selective/Differential/Anaerobic/Reducing Carbohydrate Fermentation
Fastidious bacteria mediums - -Blood Agar
-Acid Fast Stains