The microbes that live on the surface of the body openings, are generally non-pathogenic, and are beneficial bacteria that help us resist pathogens.
Normal Flora
T/F A bacterium that is harmless in one area may be pathogenic in another
True, especially if that area is usually sterile.
Sterile areas in our body cavities include......
bloodstream, bladder, heart, lungs, brain, and other organs
Role of the MA in Microbiology
1) Proper use of PPE
2) Monitoring equipment for repairs needed
3) Preforming Quality Control checks on equipment
4) Patient Teaching
5) Confidentiality concerning the patient & test results
6) Proper collection & testing of certain specimens
T/F MA can test specimens w/i CLIA guidelines for waived testing and level II testing.
False, not intermediate-complexity testing
T/F If samples are not tested at your facility, you'll prepare them for transportation the same way, no matter the specimen conditions to an outside laboratory,
False, No matter the course of action requested, careful handling of each specimen is required for the safety of the pt and the MA & to obtain an uncontaminated sample.
T/F MAs are responsible for identifying and naming specific microorganisms
False, bur it is important to understand how they are classified and named.
Are most microbes are pathogenic or non-pathogenic?
non-pathogenic (98-99%); pathogenic 1%
The majority of microorganisms are classified by....
their ability to cause disease as either non-pathogenic or pathogenic
Types of Microoganisms
1) Bacteria
2) Viruses
3) Parasites
4) Fungi
5) Protozoa
spherical-shaped bacteria
Cocci (Coccus)
rod-shaped bacteria
Bacilli (Bacillus)
spiral-shaped bacteria
Spirilla (Spirllum)
categorization by shape
Morphology
Scientists use the ______ naming system when naming all living organisms
Binomial
Binomial Naming System:
2 names; the Genus (Capitalized) and then the species (not capitalized)
Types of classifying/naming microorganisms include
retention of dyes, structural characteristics, use of oxygen, and hemolytic properties
Bacteria are characterized by this ability (especially in a throat swab placed on a blood agar)
Hemolytic properties
Characterization by survival depending on oxygen is called
use of oxygen
Bacteria that cannot survive w/o oxygen
aerobes
Bacteria that can survive w/o oxygen
anaerobes
Type of bacteria that is flexible and can live with some oxygen
facultative anaerobes
Gram-Negative Bacteria stains...
pink
Gram-Positive Bacteria stains
purple/violet
Some stains do not stain well using the Gram Stain and are required to use the special stain called
acid-fact stain
Acid-Fast Stain is used for the organism that causes
Tuberculosis
Many different types of microorganisms are usually classified by major structural differences such as,,,,,
presence or absence of organelles
cells w/ small structures in the cytoplasm of a cell
organelles cells
cells w/ a nucleus and organelles in their cytoplasm
Eukaryotic cells
cells w/ a simpler structure, w/o a nucleus or organelles
Prokaryotic cells
cells comprised of hereditary material (DNA or RNA) w/ a protein outer coat
Subcellular cells
Structural classification of protozoa
Classified as: Eukaryotic
Structural classification of fungi
Classified as: Eukaryotic
Structural classification of bacteria
Classified as: Prokaryotic
Structural classification of viruses
Classified as: Sub-cellular Microorganisms
Structural classification of parasites
Classified as: Eukaryotic
Naming Microorganisms:
1) Binomial System
2) 2 Names
3) Genus and Species
Genus class
always listed first and always in capitalized letters
Species Class
always listed second and always in lower-case letters
Characterization of bacteria by how they react to a stain or dye
retention of dyes
Most popular stain or dye in the classification of bacteria...
Gram stain
Staphylococcus aureus & Streptococcus pneumoniae
Example(s) of Gram-positive bacteria
Escherichia coli & Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Example(s) of Gram-negative bacteria
bacteria that causes TB
Example(s) of acid-fast stain bacteria
To identify & grow a sample of an organism causing disease in a pt the following are needed
proper oxygen level or no oxygen level, moisture, nutrition, and tempature in the laboratory setting
When a specimen is collected, it has to be placed on or in a substance called ________, to promote growth or microorganisms.
culture medium
A gelatin-like substance (made from seaweed) that is added to culture media to provide nutrition & a semi-solid surface for microbes to grow.
Agar
Culture & Sensitivity Test
test to detect and identify microorganisms and to determine the most effective antibiotic therapy through the use of a lab test for bacterial growth that involves instilling microorganisms in media, monitoring them for the growth of pathogens, & determini
Culture medium
An aqueous solution of various nutrients (solid or liquid) suitable for the growth of microorganisms, used in a laboratory that is used to cultivate microorganisms
Agar
A gelatinous material derived from algae, specifically used as a culture medium of bacteria and other cells for diagnostic or laboratory experiments purposes.
Coccus/Cocci
arranged in various configurations: Examples: Staphylococci- grape-like clusters, Streptococci- chains, Diplococci- in pairs
Staphylococci
type of Cocci in grape-like clusters, gram-positive, and non-pathogenic Staphylococci are found on our skin & in many of our body openings/orifices.
Staphylococci (Pathogenic)
S. aureus or Staph is the major pathogen of this genus and may be found as normal flora in nose or on skin, causing infections w/ pus-producing abscesses, boils, carbuncles & folliculitis.
S. aureus is a common cause of
nosocomial infections and may also cause pneumonia, meningitis, & septicemia, toxic shock syndrome, & enteritis (food poisoning)
S. aureus is coagulase positive meaning?
it produces an enzyme that can be used to differentiate S.aureus from other species of this organism
MRSA stands for? & is?
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus; an infectious disease caused by a pathogen that is resistant to many antibiotics; superbug
Streptococci
round, gram-positive bacteria, arranged in chains, either patho or non-patho, part of the normal flora of the upper respiratory tract & skin.
________Bacteria classified by hemolysis and serologically w/ antiseria specifiic antigens in cell walls & specific for each group (A-H) &(K-V) is important b/c
Streptococci; Identification of the specific group pf strep organisms is important in epidemiology- GROUP A can be life-threatening
MRSA (form of S, Aureus)
Produces an enzyme that makes the organism resistant to antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporins
Microbes
Bacteria, viruses, or other organisms invisible to the naked eye, some of which cause disease.
Microbiology
A specialized area of biology that deals with living things ordinary to small to be seen without magnification, including bacteria, parasites, fungi, protozoa and viruses; The study of microorganisms, specifically disease-causing microorganisms (bacteria,
Fungi, Parasitic Worms, Bacteria, Viruses, RIckettsia, & Protozoa and nosocomial infections are all caused by
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus/Staph) especially in people w/ reduced resistance by a break in the skin or in the mucous membrane
Hemolytic Properties
Bacteria are also categorized by their ability to burst RBCs in blood agar
The organism that causes strep throat
Beta hemolytic
T/F Motility is a way of characterizing microbes
True, Being capable of movement (motile) or not (non-motile) is unique to specific categories of microoraganisms
Motile characteristics includes
flagella or cilia
flagella
long whip-like extensions of the cytoplasm which enables the cell to move; most bacteria have this
cilia
fine hair-like extensions extending from the plasma membrane of the cell, used for locomotion.
Bacteria
a prokaryotic microorganism that is small, unicellular, non-nucleated capable of rapid reproduction, mainly characterized by their morphology: spherical, rod, or spiral shaped appearing singular or in chain-like forms
E.coli causes___ and the type of microorganism is_____
UTIs; bacteria
T/F: Tests are available to indicate the presence or absence of the MSRA enzyme & help determine the most favorable treatment
True, Commerical test kits are available for rapid detection of group A beta-hemolytic strep in a lab setting, negative tests should be followed up by a culture that includes bacitacin sensitivity
tHIS group causes a variety of diseases varying from mild as strep throat to life-threatening such as Necrotizing Fasciitis (severe infection 30% mortality rate)
Group A beta-hemolytic S. pyogenes
Necrotizing Fasciitis
severe infection due to destruction of subcutaneous tissue and fascia, w/ a 30& mortality rate.
Group A beta-hemolytic S. pyogenes causes Necrotizing Fasciitis which also causes
pneumonia, tonsillitis, scarlet fever, infections, rheumatic fever, acute glomerulonephritis, and bacterial endocarditis, abscesses, wound infections and bactermia
Diplococci
occurs in pairs, either gram (+)or gram (-), commonly found in upper respiratory tract, examples of diseases: gonorrhea, bacterial meningitis, septicemia, and Meningococcial Meningitis
Bacillus/Bacilli
rod-shaped, gram (+) or gram (-), either pathogenic or non-pathogenic, responsible for a variety of diseases Botulism, TB, Tetanus, UTIs, Whooping cough, and pneumonia
Gram-Negative Bacilli
Enterobacteriaceae are a large family of Gram (-) bacilli found mainly in the intestinal tract, many cause infections in others body locations - E.coli: most frequently associated w/ UTIs.
Salmonella
a group of gram (-) bacilli organisms, main cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide. They can be classified serologically to differentiate which among 1000s of members of this pathogenic group are causing the disease outbreak.
Helicobacter Pylori
a gram (-) Bacillius, founded in 1980, found in about 1/2 the population & is mostly asymptomatic, responsive to a # of antibiotics (tetracycline), it's discovery led to a huge breakthrough in ulcer treatment
The causative agent of peptic ulcers and a risk factor in gastric malignancy in some infected persons
Helicobacter Pylori
Gram (+) Bacilli
May be found in chains or singly, are spore forming or non-spore forming: Notable gram(+) bacilli: Clostridium botulinum- causes botulism & Clostridium Tetani-causes tetanus
Vibrio
comma-shaped bacilli, main pathogen in Vibrio cholerae whose entertoxin causes cholera
Cholera
Characterized by profuse watery stools, vomiting, leg cramps, dehydration, & shock; Caused by ingesting water or eating shellfish from water contaminated w/ infected urine, vomit, or feces. Common in Asiatic countries
Tetanus
a disease resulting from a cut or injury associated w/ contaminated soil such as a rusty farm implement
Spore
thick-walled reproductive cell produced by some organisms that is capable of withstanding unfavorable environmental conditions
Botulism
a severe, possibly faTAL form of food poisoning caused by this powerful neurotoxin produced by the anaerobe C. botulinum, associated w/ improper canning process and it's potential use as a bioterrorism agent
Spirillum/Spirilla or spirochetes
spiral or corkscrew -shaped organisms, classified as a separate category of bacteria, some are non-pathogenic & found in certain areas of the body & others such as Treponema pallidum cause this STD; Lyme disease are a deer- tick borne disease- causative a
Special types of bacteria include...
Mycoplama, Mycobacterium, Rickettsia, Chlamydia, & Mycobacterium TB
Mycoplasma
A type of Gram-negative bacterium that lacks a true cell wall and this , Bacterium causes mild pneumonia