| A | B |
|---|
| Pathogen | An organism that causes disease |
| Saprophyte | An organism that feeds on dead matter |
| Parasite | An organism that feeds on a living host |
| Respiration | The process by which food is converted into useable energy for life functions |
| Aerobic respiration | Respiration that requires oxygen |
| Anaerobic respiration | Respiration that does not require oxygen |
| Steady state | A state in which members of a population die as quickly as new members are born |
| Conjugation | A temporary union of two organisms for the purpose of DNA transfer |
| Plasmid | A small, circular section of extra DNA that confers one or more traits to a bacterium |
| Transformation | The transfer of a "naked" DNA segment from a nonfunctional donor cell to that of a functional recipient cell |
| Endospore | The DNA of a bacterium that is coated with several hard layers |
| Strains | Organisms from the same species that have markedly different traits |
