HEALTH SCIENCES II L.V.I.

Study guide

1. What are the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells? The
primary distinction between these two types of organisms is that eukaryotic cells
have a membrane-bound nucleus and prokaryotic cells do not. The nucleus is
where eukaryotes store their genetic information.

2. What kind of cells are bacteria? Prokaryotic cells

3. Describe the different kinds of bacterial morphologies. Bacteria are complex

and highly variable microbes. They come in four basic shapes: spherical (cocci),
rod-shaped (bacilli), arc-shaped (vibrio), and spiral (spirochete)

4. Describe the structures that a bacterium can have (flagella, pili, etc.).

Pili - hair-like structures that help bacteria attach to surfaces and other bacteria.

Plasmids - genetic material (DNA)

Ribosomes - structures that make proteins.

5. What are the steps of the Gram staining? The performance of the Gram Stain
on any sample requires four basic steps that include applying a primary stain
(crystal violet) to a heat-fixed smear, followed by the addition of a mordant
(Gram's Iodine), rapid decolorization with alcohol, acetone, or a mixture of alcohol
and acetone

6. What are the differences of the cell wall structure of gram positive and
negative bacteria? Gram-negative bacteria are surrounded by a thin
peptidoglycan cell wall, which itself is surrounded by an outer membrane
containing lipopolysaccharide. Gram-positive bacteria lack an outer membrane
but are surrounded by layers of peptidoglycan many times thicker than is found in
the Gram-negatives.

7. Name the definition of a bacterial culture, and the different types of mediums
that exist. A bacteria culture is a test to identify whether you have a bacterial
infection.

Broth cultures.

Agar plates.

Agar based dipsticks.

Stab cultures.
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Culture collections.

Solid plate culture of thermophilic microorganisms.

Isolation of pure cultures.

8. What are the five steps of a bacterial infection? persistent cough.

runny nose.

sneezing.

sore throat.

difficulty breathing.

9. What are the differences between an exotoxin and endotoxin? Endotoxins are
the lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes, produced at the time of cell death.
Exotoxins are polypeptide proteins excreted by few species of bacteria.

10. Define a virus: An infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid
molecule in a protein coat, is too small to be seen by light microscopy, and is able
to multiply only within the living cells of a host.

11. Name the components of a virus structure. nucleic acid (single- or double-
stranded RNA or DNA) and a protein coat, the capsid,

12. What kind of nucleocapsid structures exist? The RNA-dependent RNA

polymerase binds to the nucleocapsid template via its co-factor, the
phosphoprotein (P). This chapter describes the main structural information
available on the nucleoprotein, showing that it consists of a structured core
(N(CORE)) and an intrinsically disordered C-terminal domain (N(TAIL)).

13. What is a viroid and a prion? Prions are infectious particles that contain no
nucleic acids, and viroids are small plant pathogens that do not encode proteins

14. Define a parasite and name the type of parasites that exist: A parasite is an
organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the
expense of its host. There are three main classes of parasites that can cause
disease in humans: protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites.

15. How are parasites classified? protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites.

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16. What are the main features of protozoa and metazoan (helminths)? The main
difference between protozoa and helminths is that the protozoa are unicellular
protists whereas helminths are metazoa that is multicellular worms.

17. Name the subclassification of worms and their general features. Flukes
(Trematodes)

Adult flukes are leaf-shaped flatworms. Prominent oral and ventral suckers help
maintain position in situ. Flukes are hermaphroditic except for blood flukes, which
are bisexual. The life-cycle includes a snail intermediate host.

Tapeworms (Cestodes)

Adult tapeworms are elongated, segmented, hermaphroditic flatworms that

inhabit the intestinal lumen. Larval forms, which are cystic or solid, inhabit
extraintestinal tissues.

Roundworms (Nematodes)

Adult and larval roundworms are bisexual, cylindrical worms. They inhabit
intestinal and extraintestinal sites.

18. What are the main characteristics of fungi? Fungi are eukaryotic, non-
vascular, non-motile and heterotrophic organisms.

They may be unicellular or filamentous.

They reproduce by means of spores.

Fungi exhibit the phenomenon of alternation of generation.

Fungi lack chlorophyll and hence cannot perform photosynthesis.

19. Name the biological classification of fungi: Fungi are usually classified in four
divisions: the Chytridiomycota (chytrids), Zygomycota (bread molds), Ascomycota
(yeasts and sac fungi), and the Basidiomycota (club fungi). Placement into a
division is based on the way in which the fungus reproduces sexually.

20. Elaborate a table with the pathogen that your classmates present in class
with: the name of the pathogen, type of microorganism (bacteria, virus, etc), main
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features (bacteria: morphology and gram staining; virus: DNA or RNA; parasite:
classification; fungus: classification) and disease (main symptoms of the
disease).

Name Type of Main features Disease

microorganism

Staphylococcus Bacteria Gram-positive It is the leading

aureus round-shaped cause of skin and
bacterium, a soft tissue
member of the infections such as
Firmicutes, and is abscesses (boils),
a usual member furuncles, and
of the microbiota cellulitis.
of the body

Streptococcus Bacteria Gram positive, Pneumonia,

pneumoniae have a cell wall, meningitis,
capsule, short pili, bacteriemia
do not form
spores, non-
motile, cocci
bacteria

Mycobacterium Bacteria gram positive, rod tuberculosis

shaped, slow
growing, thicker
cell wall, aerobic

Aspergillus Fungus They produce For people who

spores of between have weakened
200 and 400 mm. immune systems,
The color of the breathing in
stipes is gray Aspergillus spores
around the apex. can cause an
They have a infection in the
smooth surface. lungs or sinuses
They have a which can spread
small, columnous to other parts of
globuse. The the body.
surface of the
conidia is either
smooth or
spinose.
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Taenia Parasite Tapeworm, digestive

obligate and endo problems or no
parasite, human is symptoms;
only host, scolex cysticercosis
with 4 "mouths", is
hermaphrodite

Fasciola Parasite Characteristic leaf Acute infection

shape with the can cause
anterior end being abdominal pain,
broader than the hepatomegaly,
posterior end and nausea, vomiting,
an anterior cone- intermittent fever,
shaped projection. urticaria, malaise,
and weight loss
due to liver
damage.

Parvoviruses Virus: Linear, Parvovirus B19 Humans: Fifth

single-stranded only affects disease, painful or
DNA; humans. Mostly swollen joints.
affects dogs. Dogs: Severe,
often bloody,
diarrhea.

Leptospira Bacteria Very thin, tightly High fever,

coiled, obligate headache,
aerobic bleeding, muscle
spirochetes pain, chills, red
characterized by a eyes and vomiting
unique flexuous are some
type of motility. symptoms.

Salmonella Bacteria Gram negative, Diarrhea, fever,

mobile by abdominal
pertirichous cramps, chills,
flagella, headache,
facultative nausea and
anaerobes vomiting

Campylobacter Bacteria spiral-shaped, diarrhea,

“S”-shaped, or vomiting, stomach
curved, rod- cramping and
shaped bacteria. fever
Currently, there
are 17 species
and 6 subspecies
assigned to the
genus
Campylobacter, of
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which the most

frequently
reported in human
diseases are C.

Coronaviruses Virus Spherical or fever

pleomorphic cough
enveloped tiredness
particles loss of taste or
containing single- smell
stranded
(positive-sense)
RNA associated
with a
nucleoprotein
within a capsid
comprised of
matrix protein.
The envelope
bears club-
shaped
glycoprotein
projections.

Herpesviruses Virus have a unique recurrent infection

four-layered affecting the skin,
structure: a core mouth, lips, eyes,
containing the and genitals.
large, double-
stranded DNA
genome is
enclosed by an
icosapentahedral
capsid which is
composed of
capsomers. The
capsid is
surrounded by an
amorphous
protein coat called
the tegument.

Coccidioides Fungus is a dimorphic The initial form is

fungus, meaning often mild, with
that it assumes 2 few symptoms.
different forms, When symptoms
yeast or mold, do occur, they
depending on the may resemble
environment. In those of the flu,
soil, Coccidioides including fever,
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grows as a mold cough, chills and

(mycelium) with chest pain.
branching septate
hyphae.