8. Resources
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Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Antibiotic: | A drug used to treat some bacterial diseases. |
| Bacteria: | Microscopic organisms composed of a single cell, and lacking a defined nucleus and membrane-enclosed internal compartment. |
| Disease: | A state in which a function or part of the body is no longer in a healthy condition. |
| DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid): | A complex molecule found in the cell nucleus which contains an organism's genetic information. |
| Epidemic: | A disease outbreak that affects many people in a region at the same time. |
| Genes: | Units of genetic material (DNA) that carry the directions a cell uses to perform a specific function. |
| Genome: | All of an organism's hereditary information, which is encoded in the DNA (or, for some viruses, in the RNA). |
| Gram-negative: | Refers to bacteria that do not retain crystal violet dye in the Gram staining protocol. Many species of Gram-negative bacteria are pathogenic, meaning they can cause disease in a host organism. |
| Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): | The virus that causes AIDS. |
| Immune system: | A complex network of specialised cells, tissues and organs that defends the body against attacks by disease-causing microbes. |
| Immunisation: | Vaccination or other process that induces protection (immunity) against infection or disease caused by a microbe. |
| Infection: | A state in which disease-causing microbes have invaded or multiplied in body tissues. |
| Infectious diseases: | Diseases caused by microbes that can be passed to or among humans by several methods. |
| Microbes: | Microscopic organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, plants and animals. |
| mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid): | A molecule of RNA encoding a chemical 'blueprint' for a protein product. mRNA is transcribed from a DNA template, and carries coding information to the site of protein synthesis: the ribosomes. |
| Pathogens: | Disease-causing organisms. |
| RNA (ribonucleic acid): | A complex molecule that is found in the cell cytoplasm and nucleus. One function of RNA is to direct the building of proteins. |
| tRNA (transfer ribonucleic acid): | A small RNA chain that transfers a specific amino acid to a growing polypeptide chain at the ribosomal site of protein synthesis during translation. |
| Virulent: | Refers to having the ability to cause and spread disease. |
| Virus: | Minute particle capable of replication, but only within living cells. Many viral diseases are controlled by vaccination. |
Resources
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Dixon, B (1994) A rampant non-epidemic, BMJ 308:1567-1577. | Sets out the facts ignored by the media in their coverage of the 'superbug'. |
| National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Microbes in sickness and in health (PDF) | Describes the various types of microbes and explains their effects on people. [Original URL: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/microbes.htm] |
Learning outcomes
By completing this resource you will be able to:
Compare the structural components associated with bacteria and viruses.
This resource was developed by:
The production of this learning object was funded by the Eduserv Foundation
Content author: Heather Wharrad, University of Nottingham
Original project developer: Lucrezia Herman
RLO originally released: 23 April 2007
Developer responsible for the 2020 redevelopment: Aaron Fecowycz
Image credits
- Image of S. pyogenes made available by the Public Health Image Library of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Image of a bacteriophage used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
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