Microbiology Test 2 Review - Miranda

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Acidophile

Back 1

microorganisms that grow in extreme pH

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Ames test

Back 2

method for detecting mutagenic and potentially carcinogenic agents based upon the genetic alteration of nutritionally defective bac

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Antiparallel

Back 3

In DNA structure one side of the helix runs in opposite direction of other

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Antisepsis

Back 4

Chemical treatments to kill or inhibit the growth of all vegetative microorganisms on body surfaces

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Autotroph

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microorganisms that requires only inorganic nutrients and whose sole source is carbon dioxide

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Back Mutation

Back 6

a mutation that counteracts an earlier mutation, resulting in the restoration of the original DNA sequence

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Bacteriostatic

Back 7

any process or agent that inhibits bacterial growth

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Bacteriocidal

Back 8

preventing infection by inhibiting growth or action of microorganism

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Binary fision

Back 9

formation of two cells of approximately equal size as the result of parent cell dividing

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Capsid

Back 10

protein covering of a virus's nucleic acid core; exhibit symmetry due to the regular arrangement of subunits called capsomers

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Capsomers

Back 11

subunit of virus capsid shaped as a triangle/disc.

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Catalase

Back 12

enzyme found in most plant/animal cells that function as oxidizing catalyst. Catalyst-substance that accelerates chemical reactions without being affected itself.

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Commensal

Back 13

an equal relationship in which one species derives benefit without harming the other.

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Conjugation

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In bacteria, the contact between donor and recipient cells associated with the transfer of genetic material. ex. plasmids can involve sex pili...also, a form of sex reproduction in ciliated protozoa

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Contaminant

Back 15

an impurity; any undesirable material or organism

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Death phase

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end of the cell growth due to lack of nutrition, depletion of environment, and accumalation of wastes the population of cells begin to die

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Decontamination

Back 17

removal or neutralization of infectious, poisonous, or injurios agent from a site

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Degermination

Back 18

physically remove surface oils, debris and soil from skin to reduce the microbial load

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Denature

Back 19

loss of normal characteristics resulting from some molecular alteration. Usually in referance to the action of heat/chemicals on proteins whose function depends upon an unaltered tertiary structure

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Disinfection

Back 20

the destruction of pathogenic nonsporulating microbes of their toxins, usually inanimate objects

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DNA gyrase

Back 21

the enzyme responsible for supercoiling DNA into tight bundles; a type of topisomerase

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Ethylene oxide

Back 22

a potent, highly water soluble gas invaluable for gaseous sterilization of heat-sensitive objects such as plastics, surgical and diagnostic appliances and spices

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Exon

Back 23

a stretch of eukaryotic portion of mRNA that is translated into peptides. During transcription, exons are seperated from introns and spliced together into a continuous mRNA transcript.

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Extremophile

Back 24

organism capable of living in harsh environments/ extreme hot or cold

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Halophile

Back 25

microbe whose growth is either stimulated by salt or requires high concentration of salt for growth

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Helicase

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involved in DNA replication (unzips helix)

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Hfr cell

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conjugation - high frequency conjugation

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Icosahedral

Back 28

having 20 surfaces that meet to form 12 corners

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Induced mutation

Back 29

any alteration in DNA that occurs as a consequence of exposure to chemical and physical mutagens

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Intron

Back 30

segments on split genes of eukaryotes that do not code for polypeptide; can have regulatory functions

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Lag phase

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the early phase of population growth during which no signs of growth occur

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Latent

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inactive

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Log phase

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max rate of cell division during which growth is geometric in its rate of increase. Also, exponential growth phase

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Lyophilization

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method for preserving microorganisms by freezing and then drying them directly from frozen state

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Lysogeny

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the indefinite persistance of bacteriophage DNA in a host without bringing about the production of virions.

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Macro-nutrient

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chemical substance required in large quantities (ex. phosphate)

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Micro-nutrient

Back 37

chemical substance required in small quantities (trace elements)

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Mesophile

Back 38

microorganism that grows in intermediate temperature

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Missense mutation

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a mutation in which change in DNA sequence results in a different amino acid being incorporated into protein with varying results

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Mutation

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permanent inheritable alteration in DNA sequence or content of a cell

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Mutualistic

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organism living in obligatory but mutually beneficial relationships

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Nonsense mutation

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changes an amino-acid producing codon into a stop codon, leading to premature termination of a protein

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Oncogenic

Back 43

naturally occuring type of gene that when active can transform normal cell into cancer cell

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Operon

Back 44

genetic operational unit that regulates metabolism by controlling mRNA production

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Parasitic

Back 45

harms host while colonizer benefits

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Phage

Back 46

bacteriophage

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Phototroph

Back 47

microbes that use photosynthesis to feed.

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Plaque

Back 48

virus propagation methods, the clear zone of lysed cells in tissue culture or chick embryo membrane that corresponds to the area containing viruses

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Point mutation

Back 49

a change that involves the loss, substitution or addition of one or few nucleotides.

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Polymerase

Back 50

enzyme that produces polymers through catalyzing bond formation between building blocks

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Prions

Back 51

proteinaceous infectious agent; a cytopathic protein associated with the slow-virus spongiform encephalopathies of humans/animals

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Promoter

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part of an operon sequence. The DNA segment that is recognized by RNA polymerase as the starting site for transcription

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Psychophile

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microorganism that thrives at low temp (0C - 15C)

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Repressible operon

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under certain conditions this is transcribed. Build up of amino acid product causes transcription of operon to stop

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Reverse transcription

Back 55

enzyme possessed by retrovirus that carries out the reversion of RNA to DNA - a form of reverse transcription

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Rolling circle method

Back 56

intermediate stage in viral replication of circular DNA into linear DNA

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Sanitization

Back 57

clean inanimate object using soap or degermination agents so free of high levels of microorganisms

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Saprobe

Back 58

microbe that decomposes organic remains from dead organisms

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Satellite virus

Back 59

virus like agents in human disease that are dependent on other viruses for replication

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Semiconservative

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In DNA replication, the synthesis of paired daughter strands, each retaining a parent strand template.

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Silent mutation

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alters a base but does not change the amino acid and thus has no effect

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Stationary phase

Back 62

cells either stop growing or grow slow

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Superoxide dismutase

Back 63

enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of superoxide into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen

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Surfactants

Back 64

surface active agents that forms a water soluble interface

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Thermal death point

Back 65

lowest temp that achieves sterilization in a given quantity of broth culture upon 10-min exposure

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Thermal death time

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the least time required to kill all cells of a culture at a specified temperature

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Template

Back 67

strand in a double-stranded DNA molecule that is used as a model to synthesize a complementary strand of DNA or RNA during replication or transcription

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Thermophile

Back 68

a microorganism that thrives at a temp of 50C or higher

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Viroids

Back 69

infectious agent that (unlike virions) lacks capsid and consists of closed circular RNA molecule. Exists in plants and animals

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Falcultative

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capacity of microbes to adapt or adjust to variations

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Obligate

Back 71

without alteration; restricted to particular characteristics

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Triplet

Back 72

3 nucleotides in DNA - code with mRNA codons

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Transposon

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DNA segment with an insertion sequence at each end enabling it to migrate to another plasmid, bacterial chromosome or bacteriophage

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Tyndallization

Back 74

fractional (discontinuous, intermittent) sterilization designed to destroy spores indirectly. Preparation > flowing stream > inoculation for spore germination. Vegetative cells destroyed by steaming and incubation