| A | B |
|---|
| Aerobes (aerobic) | Microorganisms that require oxygen to live and grow |
| Anaerobes (anaerobic) | Microorganims that do not require the presence of oxygen to live and reproduce |
| Autotrophic | Self-nourishing. Pertains to green plants and bacteria which form protein/carbohydrates from inorganic salts/ carbon dioxide |
| Bacteria | Most common group of microbes. Essential to life; many reside naturally in the body. Cause disease when a person is compromised |
| Binary fission | The process by which bacteria reproduce |
| Endotoxin | Bacterial toxin confined within the body of a bacterium, freed only when the bacteria is broken down |
| Exotoxin | A toxin produced by a microorganism and excreted into its surrounding medium. Most potent toxins known |
| Fomite | Inanimate object which act as reservoirs for infection.(Clothes/utensils/contaminated equipment/surgical instruments) |
| Fungi | Eucaryotic organisms including mushrooms, molds and yeasts |
| Gram negative bacteria | Bacteria which appear red/pink following a staining process |
| Gram positive bacteria | Bacteria which retain a purple color when subjected to a staining process |
| Heterotrophic | Organisms which require complex organic food to grow and develop |
| Host | The organism from which a parasite gets its nourishment |
| Infection | Term used when nonresident flora invade a susceptible area/host |
| Inflammation | The body's response to infection. Signs/symtoms: redness, heat, swelling (edema), pain, pus |
| Microorganisms | Living organisms to small to be seen with the naked eye |
| Nosocomial infection | Infection that develops while a patient is in the hospital or is produced by microbes during hospitalization |
| Opportunist | A microbe with potential to cause disease given the opportune time or place |
| Pathogenic microorganism | A disease causing/producing microorganism |
| Prinary invader | First, initial microorganism causing infection |
| Protozoa | Eucaryotic, usually single-celled, animal like microorganism |
| Pyogenic organism | Pus producing microorganism |
| Septicemia | "Blood poisoning". Systemic disease associated with pathogenic microbes/toxins in blood |
| Spores | Formed by some bacteria as a means of survial |
| Vector | Animate carrier of microorganisms, many times an arthropod |
| Virulence | The degree of pathogenicity of a microorganism |
| Virus | Small, simple structured "particle" reliant of its host for survival. Causes hepatitis and HIV |
| Bacteremia | The presence of bacteria in blood |
| Acute infection | An infection of sudden onset and short duration |
| Algae | Group of microbes abundantly found, many beneficial. Example: seaweed |
| Carrier | Person who harbors a microorganism but is asymptomatic, may spread the disease |
| Chronic infection | Infection of slow progression, long duration |
| Infectious agent | Microorganism which produces a specific disease |
| Latent infection | Disease which reaches a stage where the patient is not symptomatic but still harbors the microorganism |
| Local infection | An infection confined within an area |
| Parasite | Organism that lives within, upon ar at the expense of a host |
| Primary disease | First disease or infection |
| Prion | An infectious protein affecting the central nervous system. (Ex: mad cow disease Cruetzfeld-Jakob disease) |
| Pus | The liquid product of inflammation, usually yellow in color |
| Resident microorganism | "Normal flora" Microorganism which are normally found in an area |
| Rickettsiae | Group of microorganisms transmitted by vectors. (Example: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) |
| Saprophyte | Microorganism whose main source of food is dead and decaying organic matter |
| Secondary disase | A second illness encoutered due to a weakened resistance from an original disease |
| Shedder | Individuals who carry and shed staphylococcus at a higher volume/rate |
| Superinfection | Second infection due to the use of antibiotics or disruption of the normal flora |
| Suppuration | The process of pus formation |
| Systemic infection | An infection which occurs throughout the body |
| Toxin | Poisons released by microorganisms |
| Transient microorganism | Temporary flora, not part of the normal flora |
