Heat, UV radiation, antibiotics and chemicals are all used to control bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. How to they kill pathogens without hurting our cells? * How Control Agents Damage Microbes * There are many different methods used to control…
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Acid fast staining involves the application of a series of dyes that leaves some bacteria pink (Acid-fast) and others purple (Nonacid-fast). In order to understand how this stain works, it is important to learn about the type of bacteria identified…
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Seeds and fruits contain the next generation of plants. Some plants like annuals die relying completely on the success of their seeds for the next generation whilst others produce few seeds over their lifetime but those seeds are borne in…
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Although today we understand that living things arise from other living things, the idea of spontaneous generation was entrenched in the minds of man throughout most of history. Spontaneous generation is the belief that, on a daily basis, living things…
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The Basics of Quorum Sensing Off, and very close to the shallow shore of Hawaii there lives a marine animal known as the Hawaiian Bobtail Squid. This small squid does its hunting at night and on its back are detectors…
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The interactions between Helicobacter, Campylobacter and the immune system Introduction Campylobacters are a group of bacteria that are the most common cause of diarrhea worldwide. Under this group is the Helicobacter group of bacteria that causes peptic ulcer disease and…
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Eukaryotic plant and animal cells have some similarities and marked differences in structure that are key to understanding life; Every organism does occurs fundamentally because of functions at a cellular level. If you have ever observed plant cells and animal…
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Campylobacter jejuni is a highly motile, spiral shaped, gram-negative staining bacterium. Many birds carry the organism and it does not appear to cause any infection in avian species. Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the developed…
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Today’s society is well aware that bacteria can cause many illnesses. Sometimes, however, it is not the bacteria themselves that actually cause the damage to our bodies. In some instances, the symptoms of the diseases are actually the result of…
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The bacterium Bordetella pertussis is a small pleomorphic gram-negative staining cocco-bacillus. It is the causative organism of whooping cough, a condition also known by the medical term pertussis. While classic whooping cough is known as a childhood disease, Bordetella pertussis…
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