Microbiology Essentials: 300 Terms You Get Tested On
Most marks are lost between two organisms that look alike on one test and differ on another.
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| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| Prokaryotic cell — what is it? | A cell without a membrane-bound nucleus or organelles. Prokaryotic does not mean simple. Prokaryotes have highly organised internal structure. |
| Coccus — what is it? | A spherical bacterial cell. Arrangement is a clue to identity, so it must be recorded along with shape. |
| Endospore — what is it? | A dormant, highly resistant structure formed inside certain bacteria. An endospore is a survival structure, not a means of reproduction. |
| Nucleoid — what is it? | The region of a prokaryotic cell containing the chromosome. It is a region, not an organelle, and has no defined boundary. |
| Obligate aerobe — what is it? | An organism that requires oxygen for growth. It grows only at the surface of a liquid medium tube. |
| Psychrophile — what is it? | An organism that grows best at low temperatures. It can spoil refrigerated food, so refrigeration slows but does not stop all growth. |
| Acidophile and alkaliphile — what is it? | Organisms adapted to low and high pH. Most bacteria are neutrophiles, so extreme pH values inhibit them. |
| Colony forming unit — what is it? | A unit representing one viable cell or clump that produces a colony. A clump of cells produces one colony, so counts underestimate cell number. |
| Chemoheterotroph — what is it? | An organism using organic compounds for both energy and carbon. It contrasts with autotrophs, which use inorganic carbon. |
| Bacterial chromosome — what is it? | A single circular DNA molecule carrying the essential genes. A few bacteria have linear or multiple chromosomes, so the circular form is typical rather than universal. |
| Bacterial DNA replication — what is it? | Copying of the circular chromosome from a single origin. One origin serves the whole chromosome, unlike in eukaryotes. |
| Transposon — what is it? | A DNA segment that can move to a new location in a genome. It moves within and between DNA molecules, so it is not confined to one chromosome. |
| Genome sequencing in microbiology — what is it? | Determining the complete DNA sequence of an isolate. Carrying a resistance gene does not always mean the gene is expressed. |
| Sterilisation — what is it? | The removal or destruction of all microorganisms including endospores. Sterile is an absolute term. Almost sterile is not sterilisation. |
| Decimal reduction time — what is it? | The time required to kill ninety percent of a population. Microbial death is exponential, so no finite time gives absolute certainty of sterility. |
| Disc diffusion susceptibility test — what is it? | A method measuring the zone of inhibition around an impregnated disc. A larger zone does not always mean a better clinical choice, since criteria differ by agent. |
| Virus — what is it? | An obligate intracellular agent consisting of nucleic acid in a protein coat. A virus is not a cell and cannot be cultured on agar. |
| Attachment — what is it? | The binding of a virus to a specific receptor on the host cell. Binding requires a matching receptor, which is why viruses show tissue preferences. |
| Bacteriophage — what is it? | A virus that infects bacteria. The phage particle itself does not enter the cell in many cases. |
| Latency — what is it? | The persistence of a virus in a cell without producing new particles. The absence of symptoms does not mean the virus has been cleared. |
| Antigenic drift — what is it? | Gradual change in viral surface proteins from accumulated mutations. It produces small yearly changes rather than a sudden new virus. |
| Prion — what is it? | An infectious protein particle containing no nucleic acid. It resists heat and chemicals that destroy conventional organisms. |
| Protozoa — what is it? | Single-celled eukaryotic organisms, many of which are motile. They are not fungi or bacteria and require different culture approaches. |
| Helminth — what is it? | A parasitic worm. Helminths are multicellular animals, so they are not microorganisms in the strict sense. |
| Ova and parasite examination — what is it? | Microscopic examination of stool for parasite stages. Shedding is intermittent, so several specimens may be needed. |
| Normal microbiota — what is it? | The community of microorganisms that normally live on and in the body. Its presence in a specimen does not indicate infection. |
| Pathogenicity and virulence — what is it? | The ability to cause disease and the degree of that ability. Pathogenicity is a yes or no property, while virulence is a matter of degree. |
| Antibody — what is it? | A protein produced by B cells that binds a specific antigen. Antibodies rarely kill organisms directly, and mostly mark them for other mechanisms. |
| Active and passive immunity — what is it? | Immunity produced by the person's own response and immunity transferred from elsewhere. Passive immunity acts immediately but fades as the transferred antibodies are cleared. |
| Incidence and prevalence — what is it? | The number of new cases and the total number of cases at a time. A long-lasting disease has high prevalence even with low incidence. |
About this deck
A negative Gram stain does not exclude mycobacteria, because their waxy wall resists the stain entirely. A positive result on an old culture does not confirm a gram-positive organism either, because older cells decolourise. Microbiology is full of tests that answer one question and quietly fail at another, and knowing which is which is most of the subject. This deck is 300 cards, one organism group, structure, process or technique per card, with the back giving the definition and, where it applies, a line on the organism or term it is confused with. The sections run from cell structure and staining through growth and metabolism, microbial genetics, control of microbes, viruses, fungi and parasites, and host interaction and immunity. No doses or treatment recommendations appear anywhere. The deck covers mechanisms of action, targets and resistance, which is what examinations test and what stays true regardless of local guidance. Once it is on a spaced-repetition schedule, the organisms you can already separate stop coming back and the pairs you keep confusing return until they stop being guesswork.
Frequently asked
- What is in each section of the deck?
- Cell structure and staining has 50 cards, growth and metabolism 50, microbial genetics 45, control of microbes 45, viruses, fungi and parasites 55, and host interaction and immunity 55, for 300 in total. Every card carries section and subtopic tags, so you can drill only staining or only immunity.
- Is this a clinical microbiology deck?
- No. It covers the science that clinical practice rests on, including virulence factors, resistance mechanisms and susceptibility testing, but it contains no doses, no regimens and no treatment advice. Clinical decisions depend on local guidance and on a patient in front of you, neither of which belongs on a flashcard.
- Who is it aimed at?
- Students taking an introductory microbiology course, including those on nursing, laboratory science and biology programmes. The vocabulary is standard across those courses, so the deck transfers even where the syllabus order differs from the section order used here.
- Can I import the whole deck on the free plan?
- Yes. Importing a saved deck runs no new AI generation and does not use your AI allowance, so the free plan imports all 300 cards. You can study, edit and delete them afterwards.
- Will importing it twice create duplicates?
- No. Cards you already have are skipped and only cards added in a revision come through. Including re-imports after deleting it, one official deck can be imported three times per account.
- Can I use it on the web and in the mobile app?
- Yes. The deck is added to your account rather than to a device, so the same cards and the same progress are there on the web, on iOS and on Android.
- Can I edit the cards after importing?
- Yes. Imported cards are yours: you can edit both sides, delete cards you do not need, change tags, and move cards to another deck.
No official exam questions are reproduced. Every card was written for this deck.The deck is a study aid for exam knowledge. It is not medical advice, and it gives no doses.Editorial reference date 2026-08-31.