HIGH-YIELD PRINCIPLES IN

Microbiology

Support bacteria. Theyre the only culture some people have.

Steven Wright

What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters
compared to what lies within us.
Henry S. Haskins

This high-yield material covers the basic concepts of microbiology.

The emphasis in previous examinations has been approximately 40%
bacteriology (20% basic, 20% quasi-clinical), 25% immunology, 25%
virology (10% basic, 15% quasi-clinical), 5% parasitology, and 5%
mycology.

` Basic Bacteriology

118

` Clinical Bacteriology 127

` Mycology

145

` Parasitology

149

` Virology

156

` Systems

171

` Antimicrobials

180

Microbiology questions on the Step 1 exam often require two (or more)
steps: Given a certain clinical presentation, you will first need to identify
the most likely causative organism, and you will then need to provide
an answer regarding some feature of that organism. For example, a
description of a child with fever and a petechial rash will be followed
by a question that reads, From what site does the responsible organism
usually enter the blood?
This section therefore presents organisms in two major ways: in
individual microbial profiles and in the context of the systems
they infect and the clinical presentations they produce. You should
become familiar with both formats. When reviewing the systems
approach, remind yourself of the features of each microbe by returning
to the individual profiles. Also be sure to memorize the laboratory
characteristics that allow you to identify microbes.

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