My Dictionary 2

The Transfer of Genetic Information 

 

Transcription:  the information is copied as RNA nucleotide sequences 

 

Translation:  RNA molecules  in ribosomes then synthesize polypeptides 

 

Central Dogma:  DNA is transcribed to RNA; which is translated to form polypeptides

Events in Transcription 

RNA Primer:  molecules for DNA polymerase to use during DNA replication

Messenger RNA (mRNA):  molecules which carry genetic information from chromosomes to  ribosomes 

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA):  molecules which combine with ribosomal polypeptides to form ribosomes

Transfer RNA (tRNA):  molecules which deliver the correct sequence of amino acids to ribosomes based on the sequence of nucleotides in mRNA

My Investigation: Nosocomial Infections

I found in an online article entitled "Nosocomial Infections" that these infections are defined as thosie occurring within 48 hours of hospital admission, 3 days of discharge or 30 days of an operation.  I decided to do my investigation on nosocomial infections because recently I was admitted in the hospital because I thought I had an infection in my throat.  I sought out to see a doctor about it and began to wonder about the different nosocomial infections I could possibly catch while being there.  This article that I found described what these infections are, how one can catch them, and some statistics here and there.  Some of the key points mentioned that "one in ten patients will acquire a nosocomial infection, a third of nosocomial infections are preventable, and hand washing is the best preventative measure against the spread of infection." 

In the article it also mentions that "Gram-positive bacteria are the commonest cause of nosocomial infections with Staphylococcus aureus being the predominant pathogen. There has been an increase in the rate of antibiotic resistant bacteria associated with nosocomial infections in ICU."  This brought my attention to what we were learning about in class.  We spoke about Gram-positive bacterial cells and Gram-Negative.  This lead me to my book to refresh my mind what a gram-positive bacterial cell consists of.  On page 64 of the Microbiology with diseases by Taxonomy, it says that gram-positive bacterial cell walls have a relatively thick layer of peptidoglycan that also contain unique chemicals called teichoic acids. 

Both of these sources allowed me to really think about the possibilities of catching a nosocomial infection in a heath care facility.  It connected well with the what we have been learning in class in regards to gram-positive bacterium. 

Citations:

Bauman, Robert W. Microbiology with Diseases by Taxonomy . 3rd Edition. San Francisco: Pearson   Education , 2011. 64-65. Print.

Inweregbu, Ken, Jayshree Dave, and Alison Pittard. "Nosocomial Infections." Oxford Journals . 5.1 (2005): 14-17. Web. 8 Feb. 2013. <http://ceaccp.oxfordjournals.org/content/5/1/14.full>. 


From my understandings, this journal is from a peer-reviewed journal since there are so many people involved in creating the journal and also the many references indicated towards the bottom of the article.  The article is not from a newspaper and this site was published in 2005.  In terms of bias, the article is talking about the nosocomial infections that occur in a health care facility.  It does not really go both ways since there isn't two sides really to the topic.  This source is not an advertisement either.  

 

My Dictionary

Bright-Field Microscopes: There are two kinds

1. Simple Microscopes:  These were the microscopes in which Leeuwenhoek first reported his observations of microoraganisms.  This contains a a single magnifying lens that was capable of approximately 300x magnification and acheived excellent clarity. 

2. Uses a series of lenses for magnification.  These microscopes replaced the simple microsope in modern laboratories. 

Dark-Field Microscopes:  These microscopes utilize a dark-field stop in the condenser that prevents light from directly entering the objectiev lens.  Instead, light rays are reflected inside the condenser so that they pass into the slide at such an oblique angle that they miss the objective lens.  Only those light rays that are scattered by the specimen enter the objective lens and are seen, so the specimen appears light against a dark background. 

Phase Microscopes:  These microscopes are utilized by scientists to examine living microorganisms or specimens that would be damaged or altered by attaching them to slides or staining them.  Basically, these microscopes treat one set of light rays differently from another set of light rays. 

                                                           The working principle




Confocal Microscopes:  These microscopes use fluorescent dyes or fluorescent antibodies, but these microscopes use ultraviolet lasers to illuminate the fluorescent chemicals in only a single plane; the rest of the specimen remains dark and out of focus. 

 

 

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM): This microscope generates a beam of electrons that ultimately produces an image on a fluorescent screen.  The path of electrons is similar to the path of light in a light microscope.