Microbiology module

Question 1

cell membrane

Answer 1

• the thin, outermost structure of human cells
• selectively permeable (it lets some substances in and out but blocks the passage of others)
• in bacterial cells, the cell membrane lies within the cell wall

Question 2

cell wall

Answer 2

• outermost layer of the cell that maintains its shape and protects it
• human cells do not have a cell wall, but bacterial cells do (either gram-positive or gram-negative)
• a specific antibiotic targets bacteria according to its cell-wall structure but does not damage human cells because they do not contain cell walls

Question 3

nucleus

Answer 3

• a round structure that is inside the cell
• the largest organelle
• controls the cell’s functions
• contains chromosomes (thread-like structures made of the person’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the compound that contains the body’s genetic information)

Question 4

nuclear membrane

Answer 4

• the structure that surrounds the nucleus
• contains pores that allow larger compounds to move in and out of the cell’s nucleus

Question 5

cytoplasm

Answer 5

• contains other organelles such as mitochondria (performs functions of the cell)
• components of cytoplasm are water, protein, ions, and nutrients

Question 6

ribosome

Answer 6

• an organelle that contributes to protein synthesis, which is the building of proteins from their basic components, the amino acids
• support the protein chains as ribonucleic acid (RNA) builds them

Question 7

endoplasmic reticulum

Answer 7

• provides networks of passageways for moving various substances within the cytoplasm
• where it has ribosomes on its surface area, it is the rough endoplasmic reticulum, otherwise it is the smooth endoplasmic reticulum

Question 8

mitochondrion

Answer 8

• an organelle that gives the cells energy
• cells may have one or more mitochondria depending on how much energy the particular cell ceeds to perform its specific functions

Question 9

lysosome

Answer 9

• function: digestion

Question 10

centriole

Answer 10

• cylindrical-shaped organelle that plays a role in cell division
• each pair in the cell makes sure chromosomes are equally divided to the cells that result from the reproduction process

Question 11

golgi apparatus

Answer 11

• synthesizes carbohydrates and sorts the proteins the ribosome is supporting
• has some storage functions prior to preparing some substances for removal from the cells

Question 12

peroxisome

Answer 12

• an organelle in the cytoplasm that contains enzymes (a chemical substance in animals and plants that causes or facilitates natural processes such as digestion)

Question 13

flagellum

Answer 13

• a tail-like appendage that allows the cell to move in a swimming-like motion
• sperm cells have flagella to help it move toward egg cells

Question 14

cilia

Answer 14

• hair-like projections that help move substances through various tracts and paths in the body
• some mucous membranes, such as those in the respiratory tracts, have cilia

Question 15

what are the different bacterial shapes?

Answer 15

• coccus (round
• spirillum (spiral-shaped)
• vibrio (shaped like a comma)
• bacillus (rod-shaped)

Question 16

what are the two different bacterium called whenever they live with or without oxygen?

Answer 16

• aerobic and anaerobic

Question 17

what drug kills bacteria? what has come with the overuse of these drugs?

Answer 17

• antibiotics
• some bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics and are now difficult to kill

Question 18

what is the specific naming convention of bacteria and some other pathogens?

Answer 18

• the first word conveys the microorganism’s genus (which is a biologic classification between the family and the species)
• the second word is its species

Question 19

why is it sometimes difficult to grow or test viruses?

Answer 19

• because viruses require living tissue to survive and grow (they’re actually parasites)

Question 20

what are single-celled fungi called?

Answer 20

yeasts

Question 21

what do multi-celled fungi varieties produce?

Answer 21

• they are spore-producing molds

Question 22

what kind of infection is athlete’s foot and a vaginal yeast infection?

Answer 22

• superficial fungal infection

Question 23

what is a useful function that fungus has?

Answer 23

• they are a source of antibiotics

Question 24

what is a protozoon?

Answer 24

• a single-celled parasite that can be microscopic or large enough to see without a microscope (in the protozoa family)

Question 25

what are examples of multicellular parasites?

Answer 25

- lice, bed bugs, scabies, and pinworms

Question 26

what term describes the usual environment of microorganisms in the human body?

Answer 26

- normal flora - infection can result when the microorganisms overgrow for various reasons

Question 27

what is the chain of infection?

Answer 27

- infectious agent - reservoir host - portal of exit - mode of transmission - portal of entry - susceptible host

Question 28

what intervention breaks the chain of infection at its first link?

Answer 28

hand hygiene

Question 29

what are enteric pathogens?

Answer 29

- within or by way of the gastrointestinal tract