Week 2

D) Microbiology terminologies

1. Aerobes:  An organism that can live in the presence of oxygen

2. Aerobic bacteria: Bacteria requiring oxygen for growth

3. Anaerobic: An organism which can live in the absence of free oxygen

4. Antigen: Substance that can incite the production of specific antibody and that can combine with that antibody.

5. Antibody: Protein that is produced by animals in response to the presence of an antigen and that can combine specifically with that antigen.

6. Antiseptic: Agent that kills or inhibits microbial growth but is not harmful to human tissue.  

7. Antibiotic: Organic substance produced by one species or organism that in low concentrations will kill or inhibit growth of certain other organisms.

8. Antibacterial agents: Agents that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria.

9. Antimicrobial agents: Chemical or biological agents that kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

10. Antiviral agents: Substances capable of destroying or inhibiting the reproduction of viruses.

11. Antifungal agents: Agents that kill or inhibit the growth and reproduction of fungus.

12. Asepsis: Free of pathogen and absent of the microorganisms.

13. Antitoxin: Substances that can react with that toxin and neutralize the toxin.

14. Bacteraemia: The presence of bacteria in the blood stream.

15. Commensal: Living on or within another organism and deriving benefit without harming or benefiting the host individual.  

16. Culture medium: A liquid or solidified nutrient material that is suitable for the cultivation of a microorganism.  

17. Culture: To encourage the growth of particular microorganisms under controlled condition.

18. Disinfection:  To cleanse so as to destroy or prevent the growth of disease-carrying microorganisms.

19. Endogenous infection: An infection that caused by an infectious agent that is already present in the body, but has previously been in apparent or dormant.  

20. Fomite: A non-living object that can spread infection.

21. Immunity: The body’s defence against a particular microorganism.

22. Immunization: A process that produces immunity.

23. Immunoglobulin (Ig): Is an antibody.

24. Nosocomial infection: An infection acquired while in the hospital.

25. Pathogen: Any disease producing agents or microorganisms to cause disease.

26. Septicemia: A condition in which an infectious agents is distributed throughout the body via the blood stream.

27. Susceptible host: Is any person who is at risk for infection.

28. Sterilization: The process of destroying all form of microbial life on and object or in a material.

29. Toxemia: The presence of toxins in blood.

30. Toxoids: Inactivated bacterial toxins.

31. Vaccine: A preparations of antigens used for vaccination. Is a suspension of microbes.