Me This Week

Parasitology

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a coagulase negative, Gram-positive coccus. The organism uses sophisticated regulatory networks to adapt its metabolism to suit varying environmental conditions. S. epidermidis relies on biofilm formation to protect cells from the host immune system and other anti-microbial molecules.

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Hope it helps @shreeparn  :)

Nocardia

Gram+, aerobic, non-spore forming, non- motile, branching filamentous rod.

Partially acid fast

Immunocompromised pts, cancer pts.

DISEASES

Cavitary broncopulmonary Nocardiosis: > N. asteroides, fever, cough, dyspnea, localized or diffuse pneumonia (symptoms very similar to TBC) If spreads hematogenously => multiple brain abscesses.

Cutaneous, subcutaneous Nocardiosis: > N. brasiliensis,cellulitis => subcutaneous draining abscess with granules (mycetoma)

Side effects of drugs commonly given to the elderly

For sleep aid do not give barbituates or diphenhydramine (1st gen antihistamine). Instead, give Ramelteon.  

If you cannot grasp what I have just explained, you should just leave and study economics!

Microbiology professor, first lecture (via scienceprofessorquotes)

Dr Warhol’s Periodic Table of Microbes

56. Ba. Bacillus

There are more than 300 species of Bacillus, which is a whole whopping load of microbes. Just to wrap your head around that number, if you talked about each one for 1 minute you’d be talking nonstop for 5 hours! Take that TedTalks!

Starting with the basics, these organisms found all over the world, predominantly in soil but microbes go where they please, so they have been found in undersea hydrothermal vents as well as in the stratosphere. They are rod-shaped and form spores.

Just to list a few of the most noteworthy and awesome Bacillus species:

Abyssalis: found more than a mile and a half down at the bottom of the South China Sea.

Anthracis: causative agent of Anthrax, the disease, not the band; death, disease, toxins, yahoo!

Azotofixans: fixes nitrogen.

Canaveralius: StarFleet Academy space bacteria living on the walls of the Kennedy Space Center!

Cereus: you get to play with this in General Microbiology, a pathogen causing foodborne illness.

Decolorationis: for you art history majors, isolated from decaying parts of a mural in the Roman necropolis in Carmona, Spain.

Megaterium: it can consume cave paintings.

Stratosphericus: found in high concentrations orbiting the Earth with satellites around 6 miles up!

Subtilis: the grass bacillus; used for industrial enzyme secretion.

Thuringiensis: absolutely famous for producing the BT toxin used as a natural insecticide.

Bacillus cells are Gram positive rods that measures about 1 micron wide by 4 to 10 microns long, but with more than 300 species you will see a range of sizes.

Everyone needs their own Periodic Table of Microbes from https://www.etsy.com/no-en/shop/WarholScience.

Copyright 2016 Warhol.

Archaea

Archaeans are single-celled and join bacteria to make up the Prokaryotes.  The Archaea classification is a very recent discovery, due to the similarities in appearance and behaviour to bacteria they weren’t separated until the late 1970′s. They mostly live in extreme environments and can be sub grouped: 

Methanogens - produce methane gas as a waste product of their “digestion,” or process of making energy.

Halophiles - live in salty environments.

Thermophiles - live at extremely hot temperatures.

Psychrophiles — those that live at unusually cold temperatures.

Like bacteria, archaea lack a true nucleus. Both bacteria and archaea usually have one DNA molecule suspended in the cell’s cytoplasm contained within a cell membrane. Most, but not all, have a tough, rigid outer cell wall.

use a variety of substances for energy, including hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide and sulfur. 

many archaea thrive in conditions mimicking those found more than 3.5 billion years ago. [eg oceans that regularly reached boiling point — an extreme condition not unlike the hydrothermal vents and sulfuric waters where archaea are found today]