This is an actual study guide for a college-level introductory microbiology course.
Although is is likely that the microbiology course that you are taking does not cover exactly the same material as what is listed here, many of the study suggestions, questions and topic discussed below will be useful in helping you do well in your class.
Click here for the study guide for the Lab Practical Exam (the lab exam that you will have at the end of the semester). The study guide has links that will take you to online material that will help you review for this exam.
Lecture Topic 1 – History of Microbiology
o Understand the information presented in the Human Planet series of slides.
o Know what the Spontaneous Generation Debate was, which scientists played a part, and how each contributed to settling the debate.
o Understand the Germ Theory of Disease and the relevant contributions of the scientists we discussed.
o Who were the key players in the early history of immunology, and what information did each contribute to our understanding of immunology.
o Know the antimicrobial agents that we discussed.
Lecture Topic 2 – Chemistry
o Understand atoms, molecules, compounds, isotopes and the basics of chemical shorthand as we discussed.
o Understand the different types of bonds that we discussed: ionic, covalent and hydrogen.
o Understand the different types of reactions that we discussed: synthesis (such as dehydration reaction), decomposition (such as hydrolysis reaction), and exchange.
o What is an ion and how does it relate to acids, bases and salts?
o Compare and contrast acids bases and salts.
o Know enough about the pH scale to understand which numbers represent acidic, neutral and basic substances.
o What are buffers, and why are they important in the study of microorganisms?
o Understand each of the organic molecules that we discussed: carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids and how each of these types of molecule relates to our study of microorganisms (This last part is NOT something that you will find on a Power Point slide titled “How organic molecules relate to microorganisms. This is something that you need think about!)
o What are carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids made of? What is the monomer (subunit) of each organic molecule called? What is the polymer called?
Lecture Topic 3 – Prokaryote Cell Structure & Function
o What is a cell (and what is not)?
o Know the basic shapes and arrangements of prokaryotic cells. Know the different types of surface appendages on prokaryotic cells.
o Know the structural components of prokaryotic cells.
o Diffusion, osmosis, different types of transport. Understand the different ways that molecule can move across the plasma membrane.
o Understand osmosis and tonicity (isotonic, hypertonic, hypotonic), and be able to solve a tonicity problem (i.e. If I describe a situation of a specific type of cell sitting in a specific type of solution, be able to tell me which way water would move, into or out of the cell.)
o Understand the importance of the prokaryotic cell wall. What makes a Gram+ cell different than a Gram- cell; how the differences impact control of microorganisms.
o Understand what endospores are and what advantage they provide to bacteria.
Lecture Topic 4 – Prokaryotic Classification
o Systematics, hierarchical classification (taxonomic classification system; domains kingdoms) & binomial nomenclature (Genus species; how to properly write the generic and specific name of a species).
o Cellular organisms vs. acellular particles…understand difference and be able to give examples.
o Archaea: Know the subgroupings (taxa) of Archaea and generally where you would find each of them.
o Eukarya (Bacteria): Know the taxa I gave you in the PPT slides. Be especially familiar with organisms that we studied in lab. Know basic information about these taxa, and information about any specific representative genus or species that was detailed.
o Understand G & C Ratio and how this relates to some of the characteristics of Gram + and Gram – organisms.
o Understand which taxa are Gram + and which are Gram – if you were given that information in the PPT.
o Understand the disease states associated with the different groups of bacteria (only to the level that we discuss in class /Power Point slide.
Lecture Topic 5 – Eukaryotic Cells & Microbe Taxonomy
o Understand differences and similarities between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; Be able to ID prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic. o Know the structural components of eukaryotic cells (organelles & other cellular components).
o Know the 4 major groups of microscopic eukaryotes.
o Know the different taxa (types) of Eukaryotic microorganisms that were presented in the lecture PPT, and any information about any specific representative genus or species that was detailed.
Lecture Topic 6 – Viruses, Viroids & Prions
oWhat are viruses and how do they differ from living organisms?
o Know the different ways that scientists classify viruses.
o Understand what viruses are made of and how they reproduce (lytic phase, lysogeny, and latency). Understand the relationship between lytic reproduction and lysogeny.
o Know the difference between the viral intracellular and extracellular states.
o What is a bacteriophage?
o Compare and contrast bacteriophages from viruses that infect eukaryotic cells.
o How do we prevent and treat viral disease.
o Be able to compare bacteria, viruses, viroids & prions.
Lecture Topic 7 – Microbial Growth
o What does “microbial growth” mean?
o Know the phases of microbial growth.
o Understand how microorganisms are grouped based on their carbon and energy source.
o Understand how microorganisms are grouped based on their relationship with oxygen, temperature, pH, salt & pressure.
oHow does bacterial generation time relate to characteristics of disease? (Another “think” question.)
Lecture Topic 8 – Microbial Metabolism o Understand difference between catabolism / anabolism and what these reactions have to do with metabolism. o Understand what a redox reaction is and what this type of reaction has to do with metabolism. o Understand what ATP is and its significance in metabolism. o Understand the steps of aerobic cellular respiration to the detail that we discussed in class (starting molecule, end product molecule, what is produced in each pathway or subpathway…as we discussed, you do not need to know the name of every molecule at every substage of these processes). o Understand how aerobic respiration, anaerobic respiration and fermentation differ. o Where does the energy originate? How is it captured? What organelles and pigments are involved?
Lecture Topic 9 – Microbial Genetics
o Compare features of viral, prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes.
o What is DNA made of? Know the structural components.
o Understand the process of replication. (Don’t let the brief sentence fool you; this is a lot of complex info. Make sure you understand it to the level that was presented to you in the lecture PPTs).
o What does semiconservative replication mean?
o Explain how the DNA molecule is antiparallell.
o How does the antiparallell nature of DNA affect replication?
o What is a replication bubble?
o What is the difference between the lagging and the leading strand of DNA?
o Understand the processes of transcription & translation. (Don’t let the brief sentence fool you; this is a lot of complex info. Make sure you understand it to the level that was presented to you in the lecture PPTs).
o What nucleic acid base is used in the construction of RNA that is not utilized in DNA molecules? What nucleic acid based is not used in RNA molecules that is used in the construction of DNA?
o How is transcription similar to replication? How is it different?
o What types of RNA are involved in translation and what are their roles?
o What is the ‘triple code’? What is its role in the structure of proteins build through translation?
o What is a genetic mutation?
o Understand bacterial horizontal gene transfer of transduction, translation and conjugation.
Lecture Topic 10– Immunology
o What is our first line of defense against pathogens? What are its components?
o Understand how leukocytes, nonspecific chemical defenses, inflammation and fever contribute to our second line of defense against pathogens.
o What are formed elements?
o What are the different types of leukocytes and their functions?
o What is our third line of defense against pathogens? What are its components?
o Understand what antigens and antibodies are and how they work.
o Know the components of the lymphoid system to the level that we discussed in lecture/PPT.
o Know the different types of lymphocytes and their functions.
Lecture Topic 11 – Infectious Diseases in Human - Cellular Pathogens
o Know the infectious diseases with cellular pathogens that were presented by your classmates in the poster session.
o Understand what pneumonia is and the different infectious agents that can lead to pneumonia.
o Understand what we covered in lecture about streptococcal infections and the hemolysis patterns that identify pathogenic and nonpathogenic strep when cultured on blood agar.
o What type of infectious disease are mycoses? Know the different categories of mycoses.
o What infectious respiratory infectious diseases did we cover?
o What infections diseases of the skin did we cover?
o What infectious diseases of the genitourinary tract did we cover?
o Other organisms / infectious diseases that we covered:
TO BE UPDATED
Lecture Topic 12 – Infectious Diseases in Human - Acellular Pathogens o Know the infectious diseases with acellular pathogens that were presented by your classmates in the poster session. o Understand what pneumonia is and the different infectious agents that can lead to pneumonia. o What is the difference between influenza and pneumonia? o What are the five classical rash-causing childhood diseases and what is the infectious agent responsible for each? o Name and describe the three most common types of hepatitis. How is Type A different from Types B & C? o Which viral diseases of the respiratory system did we discuss and what is the infectious agent associated with each? o Which viral diseases of the skin did we discuss and what is the infectious agent associated with each? o Which viral diseases of the genitourinary tract did we discuss and what is the infectious agent associated with each? o Other organisms / infectious diseases that we covered:
Microbiology Lecture Power Points
Click here to go to the Microbiology PowerPoints main page. This page has all of the PowerPoint lectures that this study guide is based on.
GeneticsSample Science TestsOrganic Chemistry
Inorganic ChemistryCell BiologyImmunology
