MCB 3020C Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Microbial Ecology, Microbial Genetics, Biogeochemistry
Microbio Test 1:
● Definition of microbiology:
● The study of microorganisms (usually too small to be seen with the unaided eye)
and their activities
● Definition of scope:
● Study of various taxonomic groups
● What are the types of groups under scope?
● Bacteria: bacteriology includes Eubacteria and Archeabacteria
● Viruses (virology): also viroids and prions
▪ Acellular
● Algae: phycology
● Protozoa: Protozoology
● Fungi: mycology (molds and yeast)
● Types of study:
● Form, structure, reproduction, biochemistry, identification, distribution, and role
in nature, relationships to each other and other living things, including both
beneficial and detrimental effects, and use as tools for production of products
(genetic engineering)
● Practical aspects of microbiology: practical aspects recognized from the
beginning and now identified by the various practical sub disciplines within
microbiology
● Microbial physiology
● Focus: nutrition and metabolism
▪ Basic emphasis
● Microbial genetics
● Focus: genes, heredity, and genetic variation
▪ Basic emphasis
● Microbial biochemistry
● Focus: enzymes and chemical reactions in calls
▪ Basic emphasis
● Microbial systematics
● Focus: classification and nomenclature
▪ Basic emphasis
● Virology
● Focus: viruses and sub viral particles
▪ Basic emphasis
● Molecular biology
● Focus: nucleic acids and proteins
▪ Basic emphasis
● Microbial ecology
● Focus: microbial diversity and activity in natural habitats; biogeochemistry
▪ Basic emphasis
● Medial microbiology
● Focus: infectious disease
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▪ Applied emphasis
● Immunology
● Focus: immune systems
▪ Applied emphasis
● Agricultural/soil microbiology
● Focus: microbial diversity and processes in soil
▪ Applied emphasis
● Industrial microbiology
● Focus: large scale production of antibiotics, alcohol, and other chemicals
▪ Applied emphasis
● Biotechnology
● Focus: production of human proteins by genetically engineered microorganisms
▪ Applied emphasis
● Aquatic microbiology
● Focus: microbial processes in waters and wastewater, drinking water safety
▪ Applied emphasis
● Basic emphasis is focused on
● Discovery
● Applied emphasis is focused on
● Solving specific problems or synthesizing commercial products from microbial
sources
● Medical microbiology sub disciplines
● Pathogenic microbiology
▪ Host/parasite interactions
● Diagnostic microbiology
▪ Diagnosis of which microorganisms is causative agent of infectious
disease
● Veterinary microbiology
▪ Infectious diseases of animals
● Epidemiology
▪ Study of the occurrence, distribution, and determinants of health and
disease in a population
● Ex) HIV
● Immunology
● Virology
● Major cause of death over 100 years ago
● Infectious diseases
▪ Top 3 caused by microbes
● Are microbes the leading cause of death today?
● No
● Influenza (Spanish flu)
● More Americans died than were killed in WWI, WWII, Korean, and Vietnam wars
(2 million in US)
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● Pandemic spread across the world infected 500 million people and killed 50
million
● Small pox
● One of the greatest killers
● 10 million people killed in history
● brought to new world by Spanish. Aztecs very susceptible. Vaccination: no new
cases since 1977
● Vaccination not in general use for 40 years due to eradication and risk: 1 to 2 per
million die from vaccinia virus complication
● Now a category a biological warfare agent; easily spread by contact or aerosol
spray
● 30% mortality
● Black plague
● 1/3 of the population of Europe (25 million) died during one epidemic
● antibiotics have now controlled it
● What happens to the efficiency of the influenza vaccine over time?
● With time as new surface antigens, the efficiency decreases. Called antigenic
drift.
● Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF)
● Subgroups of dangerous and most feared viral pathogens and are the most lethal
infectious agents known
● Special pathogens branch of the CDC handles these under biosafety level 4
● Can cause severe symptoms and show high rate mortality
● BSL-4
● Highest level of biological containment that is used only when working with
samples that pose a high level of risk of life-threatening disease and no effective
treatment or vaccines exist
● Hantavirus
● Only one endemic is US (1993)
● Ebola
● Endemic in parts of Africa (67%)
● Old definition of industrial microbiology
● Study of fermentation processes (alcohol and production of beer and wine)
● New definition of industrial microbiology
● Conversion of raw material into desirable end products by selected
microorganisms (large scale) and includes methane and ethanol
● Primary metabolites
● Production of products necessary for microbial growth like: amino acids, organic
acids, alcohol, and certain enzymes
● Secondary metabolites
● Productions of products by the microorganisms NOT necessary for its growth:
like antibiotics, steroids, and ethanol.
● Bag of ezes
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Document Summary
The study of microorganisms (usually too small to be seen with the unaided eye) Viruses (virology): also viroids and prions: acellular. Form, structure, reproduction, biochemistry, identification, distribution, and role in nature, relationships to each other and other living things, including both beneficial and detrimental effects, and use as tools for production of products (genetic engineering) Practical aspects of microbiology: practical aspects recognized from the beginning and now identified by the various practical sub disciplines within microbiology. Focus: nutrition and metabolism: basic emphasis. Focus: genes, heredity, and genetic variation: basic emphasis. Focus: enzymes and chemical reactions in calls. Focus: classification and nomenclature: basic emphasis. Focus: viruses and sub viral particles: basic emphasis. Focus: nucleic acids and proteins: basic emphasis. Focus: microbial diversity and activity in natural habitats; biogeochemistry: applied emphasis. Focus: microbial diversity and processes in soil. Focus: large scale production of antibiotics, alcohol, and other chemicals. Focus: production of human proteins by genetically engineered microorganisms.
