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74 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Acidophile
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microorganisms that grow in extreme pH
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Ames test
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method for detecting mutagenic and potentially carcinogenic agents based upon the genetic alteration of nutritionally defective bac
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Antiparallel
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In DNA structure one side of the helix runs in opposite direction of other
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Antisepsis
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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
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a mutation that counteracts an earlier mutation, resulting in the restoration of the original DNA sequence
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Bacteriostatic
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any process or agent that inhibits bacterial growth
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Bacteriocidal
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preventing infection by inhibiting growth or action of microorganism
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Binary fision
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formation of two cells of approximately equal size as the result of parent cell dividing
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Capsid
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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
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subunit of virus capsid shaped as a triangle/disc.
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Catalase
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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
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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
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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
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removal or neutralization of infectious, poisonous, or injurios agent from a site
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Degermination
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physically remove surface oils, debris and soil from skin to reduce the microbial load
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Denature
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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
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the destruction of pathogenic nonsporulating microbes of their toxins, usually inanimate objects
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DNA gyrase
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the enzyme responsible for supercoiling DNA into tight bundles; a type of topisomerase
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Ethylene oxide
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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
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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
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organism capable of living in harsh environments/ extreme hot or cold
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Halophile
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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
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having 20 surfaces that meet to form 12 corners
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Induced mutation
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any alteration in DNA that occurs as a consequence of exposure to chemical and physical mutagens
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Intron
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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
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chemical substance required in small quantities (trace elements)
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Mesophile
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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
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naturally occuring type of gene that when active can transform normal cell into cancer cell
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Operon
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genetic operational unit that regulates metabolism by controlling mRNA production
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Parasitic
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harms host while colonizer benefits
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Phage
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bacteriophage
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Phototroph
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microbes that use photosynthesis to feed.
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Plaque
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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
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a change that involves the loss, substitution or addition of one or few nucleotides.
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Polymerase
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enzyme that produces polymers through catalyzing bond formation between building blocks
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Prions
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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
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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
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intermediate stage in viral replication of circular DNA into linear DNA
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Sanitization
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clean inanimate object using soap or degermination agents so free of high levels of microorganisms
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Saprobe
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microbe that decomposes organic remains from dead organisms
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Satellite virus
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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
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cells either stop growing or grow slow
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Superoxide dismutase
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enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of superoxide into hydrogen peroxide and oxygen
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Surfactants
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surface active agents that forms a water soluble interface
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Thermal death point
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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
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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
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a microorganism that thrives at a temp of 50C or higher
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Viroids
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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
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without alteration; restricted to particular characteristics
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Triplet
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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
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fractional (discontinuous, intermittent) sterilization designed to destroy spores indirectly. Preparation > flowing stream > inoculation for spore germination. Vegetative cells destroyed by steaming and incubation
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