Microbiology, 2021

1180 E • Glossary
by a bacterial cell that can modify the
activity of surrounding cells; associated
with quorum sensing
autoradiography the method of producing
a photographic image from radioactive
decay; in molecular genetics the method
allows the visualization of radioactivelylabeled
DNA probes that have hybridized
to a nucleic acid sample
autotroph organism that converts
inorganic carbon dioxide into organic
carbon
auxotroph nutritional mutant with a lossof-function
mutation in a gene encoding
the biosynthesis of a specific nutrient such
as an amino acid
avidity strength of the sum of the
interactions between an antibody and
antigen
axon long projection of a neuron along
which an electrochemical signal is
transmitted
azithromycin semisynthetic macrolide
with increased spectrum of activity,
decreased toxicity, and increased half-life
compared with erythromycin
B
β-lactamases bacterially produced
enzymes that cleave the β-lactam ring of
susceptible β-lactam antimicrobials,
rendering them inactive and conferring
resistance
β-lactams group of antimicrobials that
inhibit cell wall synthesis; includes the
penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems,
and monobactams; inhibits the
transpeptidase cross-linking activity of
penicillin-binding proteins
β-oxidation process of fatty acid
degradation that sequentially removes
two-carbon acetyl groups, producing
NADH and FADH 2 , on entry into the Krebs
cycle
β-pleated sheet secondary structure
consisting of pleats formed by hydrogen
bonds between localized segments of
amino acid residues on the backbone of
the polypeptide chain
B-cell receptors (BCRs) membranebound
IgD and IgM antibody that bind
specific antigen epitopes with Fab antigenbinding
region
B lymphocyte antibody-producing cells of
humoral immunity; B cell
babesiosis tickborne protozoan infection
caused by Babesia spp. and characterized
by malaise, fatigue, fever, headache,
myalgia, and joint pain
bacillary dysentery gastrointestinal
illness caused by Shigella bacteria, also
called shigellosis
bacillus (bacilli) rod-shaped prokaryotic
cell
bacitracin group of structurally similar
peptides that block the movement of
peptidoglycan precursors across the cell
membrane, inhibiting peptidoglycan
synthesis
bacteremia condition marked by the
presence of bacteria in the blood
bacteria (singular: bacterium) any of
various unicellular prokaryotic
microorganisms typically (but not always)
having cell wells that contain
peptidoglycan
bacterial lawn layer of confluent bacterial
growth on an agar plate
bacterial meningitis bacterial infection
that results in an inflammation of the
meninges
bacterial vaginosis a condition caused by
an overgrowth of bacteria in the vagina
that may or may not cause symptoms
bactericidal irreversible inhibition of a
microbe’s ability to divide
bactericide chemical or physical
treatment that kills bacteria
bacteriochlorophylls green, purple, or
blue pigments of bacteria; they are similar
to chlorophyll of plants
bacteriology the study of bacteria
bacteriophage virus that infects bacteria
bacteriostatic having the ability to inhibit
bacterial growth, generally by means of
chemical or physical treatment; reversible
inhibition of a microbe’s ability to divide
barophile organism that grows under high
atmospheric pressure
basal body component of eukaryotic
flagellum or cilium composed of nine
microtubule triplets and attaches the
flagellum or cilium to the cell
base sequence identity of the specific
nucleotides present in a nucleic acid
strand and their order within the strand
basic dye a chromophore with a positive
charge that attaches to negatively charged
structures
basidia (basidium, sing.) small clubshaped
structures of basidiomycete fungi
where basidiospores are produced
basidiocarps fruiting bodies of
basidiomycete fungi
basidiospores spores produced sexually
via budding in basidiomycete fungi
basophils leukocytes with granules
containing histamine and other chemicals
that facilitate allergic responses and
inflammation when released
benzimidazoles class of antihelminthic
drugs that bind to helminthic β-tubulin,
preventing microtubule formation
Betaproteobacteria class of
Proteobacteria that are all eutrophs
binary fission predominant form of
bacterial reproduction in which one cell
divides into two daughter cells of equal
size, which separate, each offspring
receiving a complete copy of the parental
genome
binocular having two eyepieces
binomial nomenclature a universal
convention for the scientific naming of
organisms using Latinized names for
genus and species
biofilm complex ecosystem of bacteria
embedded in a matrix
biogeochemical cycle recycling of
inorganic matter between living
organisms and their nonliving
environment
bioinformatics the analysis of large
amounts of information required for
interpretation of these data
biological transmission movement of a
pathogen between hosts facilitated by a
biological vector in which the pathogen
grows and reproduces
biological vector an animal (typically an
arthropod) that is infected with a pathogen
and is capable of transmitting the
pathogen from one host to another
biomarker a protein expressed by a cell or
tissue that is indicative of disease
biomolecule a molecule that is part of
living matter
bioremediation use of microbes to
remove xenobiotics or environmental
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