Microbes of the Day
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Budding=baker’s=brewer’s yeast
Eukaryote (fungus)
Produces CO2 and ethyl alcohol from glucose
Forms spores
First eukaryotic genome sequenced
Ubiquitous in environment
Rarely pathogenic (vaginitis)
Candida albicans most common fungal pathogen
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Gram positive bacterium
Normal flora in GI tact and vagina
L. gasseri most common of 6 Lactobacilli in human GI tract
Produce acids from lactose
Relatives ferment yogurt, sourdough bread
Sold as health supplements
Probiotic (health promoting) activities
Staphylococcus aureus
Golden-colored colonies
Gram positive coccus (bacterium)
Grape-like clusters
Common on skin and nose: grows in high salt
Opportunistic pathogen: makes toxins
Chlamydia trachomatis
Obligate intracellular parasite (dark bodies in red-stained cells)
Prokaryote
Very limited metabolism: cannot make ATP
Major cause of female sterility and ectopic pregnancy due to PID (pelvic inflammatory disease)
Risk to newborn child – early infant pneumonia and conjunctivitis
Leading cause of world blindness (trachoma)
STD: Most frequently reported infectious disease in US
834,555 infections reported 2002 (351,852 cases)
50% of men and 75% of women have no symptoms
www.cdc.gov/std/Chlamydia/STDFact-Chlamydia.htm
Psittacosis: Chlamydia psittaci
Psittacosis: lung infection
Spread to people from birds
Eye infections in cats (can spread to people)
Coccidioides immitis
Soil fungus in American Southwest
Cause of Valley Fever
Valley Fever is an Endemic Disease in the Americvan SouthWest
Coccidioides immitis Life Cycle
Valley Fever usually a flu-like illness
Can spread to bones, skin, meninges
100,000 new cases/yr in SW
What you should know
Scientific name
Classification (type of microbe)
Morphology
Normal environment
Disease(s) caused