Title: Glossary of Microbiology Lab
Course: Lab Applications of Microbiology > Section: Glossary

Term | Definition
Aerobic | A microorganism that lives and grows in the presence of oxygen
Anaerobic | A microbe that grows best, or exclusively, without oxygen
Aseptic | Methods of handling microorganisms with care to prevent contamination, or infection of the handler
Bacilli | Bacteria that is shaped like a cylinder
CFU | Colony Forming Unit, a term for the group of cells that gives rise to a single colony
Chromophore | The color-bearing portion of a stain molecule
Cocci | Spherical shape bacteria
Coliform | A term that refers to bacteria that are Gram-negative and ferment lactose
Condenser | The part of the microscope that collects the light onto the sample
Conjugation | The transfer of DNA from one bacteria to another through a pilus.
Denature | The loss of characteristics that are vital to function. Inactivation.
Diaphragm | The part of the microscope that adjusts the amount of light on the sample.
Differential stain | A technique that uses two dyes to distinguish between different microbial groups or cell parts by color reaction.
Dilution factor | A number that relates the concentration of a diluted sample to the undiluted sample.
Diplobacilli | Rod-shaped cells found in pairs
Diplococcal | Sphere-shaped cells found in pairs
DNA | Deoxyribonucleic acid – DNA caries the master plan for an organism’s heredity
Drug resistance | An adaptive response in which microorganisms begin to tolerate an amount of a drug that would ordinarily be inhibitory
Enzyme | A protein biocatalyst that facilitates metabolic reactions
EPA | Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S. Government
FDA | Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Government
Focus adjustment | The knob on a microscope that allows you to change the distance between the sample and the focus lenses, bringing the image into focus
Framework | The part of the microscope that holds all the parts together
Gene of interest | The gene in a plasmid that translates into the protein that is desired
Genotype | The genetic makeup of an organism
Gram stain | A differential stain for bacteria that distinguishes differences in the cell wall.
Lamp | The part of the microscope that produces light.
Mesophile | Microorganisms that grow at intermediate temperatures
Morphology | The study of organismic structure
Normal microbiota | The native microbial forms that an individual harbors
Objective lens | The lens in a microscope that is nearest the object being viewed
Ocular lens | The lens in a microscope closest to your eyes when looking through a microscope
Origin | The location in a DNA molecule where replication begins
Palisades | The characteristic arrangement of cells that resembles a row of fenceposts and is created by snapping
Phenotype | The observable characteristics of an organism produced by interaction of the genotype and the environment
Pleomorphic | The normal variability of cell shapes in a single species
Primary containment | The actions or equipment used to protect personnel and the laboratory environment from exposure to infectious microbes
Promoter | A segment of DNA usually occurring upstream from a gene coding region and acting as a controlling element in the expression of that gene
Psychrophile | A microorganism that thrives at low temperature with an optimum of 0-15 degrees Centigrade
Secondary containment | Actions or equipment that are used to protect the outside environment from exposure to infectious organisms and depends principally on the design of the laboratory.
Spirilla | Spiral shaped bacteria
Stage | The platform of a microscope that supports the slide
Staphylococcal | A morphology of irregular clusters of spherical bacteria
Sterile |
Sterilization |
Streptobacilli | A morphology of long chains of cylindrical bacteria
Streptococcal | A morphology of long chains of spherical bacteria
Tetrad | A morphology of four-cell groups of spherical cells.
Thermophile | A microorganism that thrives at a temperature of 50 degrees Centigrade or higher
Toxin | A specific chemical product of microbes, plants and some animals that is poisonous to other organisms
Transduction | The movement of DNA from one bacterial cell to another with the aid of a bacteriophage
Transformation | In microbial genetics, the transfer of genetic material contained in ‘naked’ DNA fragments from a donor cell to a competent recipient cell
Turbid | Cloudy appearance of nutrient solution in a test tube due to growth of a microbe population
Ubiquitous | Present everywhere at the same time
Ultraviolet light | Light with a wavelength of 240-260nm.