Things to Memorize for Microbiology
Hello students! This is a list of subjects that need to be absolutely memorized before you go into
your Microbiology exam. Every topic we covered in class is important, but these are the
HIGHEST priority of those topics.
1. Major research figures. For these individuals, you want to remember just their name
and their major research accomplishment.
a. Robert Hooke
b. Antonij van Leeuwenhoek
c. Francesco Redi
d. Louis Pasteur
e. John Tyndall
f. Robert Koch
g. Joseph Lister
h. Charles Chamberland
i. Paul Ehrlich
j. Alexander Flemming
k. Selman Waksman
l. Edward Jenner
2. Major Theories
a. Spontaneous Generation
b. Germ Theory of Disease
c. Koch’s Postulates
d. 5 Kingdom Classification
3. Prokaryotic Cells - Pay particular attention to anything that is different between
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells. If it differs, we can use it to kill them!
a. Surface-to-Volume Ratio
b. Bacterial Shapes
c. Bacterial Arrangements
d. Intracellular Organelles
e. External Structures (glycocalyx, pili, etc.)
f. Cell wall types (Gram Positive, Gram Negative, Acid Fast, Mycoplasm) –
Know proteins, percentages, strength, and colors on the various staining
techniques
g. Binary Fission
h. Standard Bacterial Growth Curve
4. Eukaryotic Cells
a. Cell membrane/cell wall structures for Humans and Fungi
b. Intracellular organelles
c. External Structures
d. Mitosis
e. Meiosis
f. Animal-Like Protists aka Protozoans – Know all 4 types and which diseases
fall into each category
g. Cytoplasmic Streaming
5. Viruses
a. Classification by Genetics (DNA or RNA, Single or Double Stranded, etc)
b. Capsid Structyre
c. Envelop Structure – Include spikes!
d. Virulence terms – Host range vs. viral specificity
e. Bacteriophages
f. Virons
g. Retroviruses
h. Lytic Cycle
i. Lysogenic Cycle
6. Laboratory Procedures
a. Proper culturing technique
b. Streaking onto agar plates – Streak plate method should be memorized, types
of agar is recognition only
c. Gram stain procedure and results
d. Ziehl-Neelsen Acid Fast stain procedure and results
e. Kirby-Bauer Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing
f. Stock Culture techniques
g. Turbidity
h. Standard Plate Count
i. Serial Dilutions
j. Most Probable Number
k. Filtration
l. HeLa Cell Development
7. Metabolism – Know what goes in, how much energy is used in the process, and what
comes back out!
a. Glycolysis – Just the Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas Pathway
b. Fermentation – Lactic Acid Fermentation
c. Kreb’s Cycle – Input and output only, too much “magic” in the middle to
keep track of!
d. Aerobic Respiration aka Aerobic Metabolism = Glycolysis + Kreb’s
e. Anaerobic Fermentation aka Anaerobic Metabolism = Glycolysis +
Fermentation
f. Photosynthesis – Base overview
g. Nitrogen Cycle – Base overview
8. Genetics
a. Recombination
b. Conjugation
c. Transformation
d. Transduction
e. Transponson
f. Start vs Stop Codons
g. Types of Mutations
9. Control – For this you really just need to know what each chemical does and an
example of the “name brands” of the chemical. Hint: ALL OF THEM denature
proteins and disrupt membranes! Only a few add disruption of genetics to this.
a. Sterilization vs. Disinfection vs. Sanitation vs. Anticeptic
b. Static agent vs. cidal agent
c. Physical Methods
i. Moist vs. dry heat
1. Thermal death point
2. Thermal death time
3. Pasteurization
4. Autoclaving
5. Ultrahigh-temperature sterilization
ii. Low temperatures
1. Refrigeration
2. Freezing
iii. Filtration
1. Depth filter vs. membrane vs. HEPA
iv. Radiation
1. UV
2. Ionizing
d. Chemical Agents
i. Phenolics
ii. Alcohols
iii. Halogens
iv. Heavy metals
v. Quaternary Ammoniums
vi. Aldehydes
vii. Sterilizing Gases
1. Ethylene Oxide – The test will say this is a good method, but
it’s been out of the labs for a decade due to explosive
properties.
2. BPL – my favorite!
3. Vapor-phased hydrogen peroxide – replaced Ethylene Oxide!
e. Preservation
i. Lyophilization
10. Epidemiology
a. Natural History of Disease (four stages of disease)
b. Three Levels of Prevention
c. Three Prevention Approaches
11. Immunology
a. First line of defense
b. Second line of defense
c. Types of Leukocytes
d. Types of Lymphocytes
e. Types of Macrophages
f. Steps of Phagocytosis
g. 3 Stages of Inflammation/Fever Response
h. Humoral Immunity
i. Cellular Immunity
j. Types of Antibodies
k. Types of Hypersensitivity
l. Passive vs. Active Immunity
m. Naturally vs. Artificially Acquired Immunity
12. Applied & Environmental
a. Applications of Microbiology to food preservation (Pasteurization, radiation,
etc) and food-borne illness
b. Soil ecology (bacteria help to convert the Nitrogen Cycle into plant food, etc.)
c. Soil types
i. Clay has too fine of particles causing soil to become water-logged,
which leads to bad anaerobic growth
ii. Sand has particles that are too big, causing water to leach right
through, which leaves plants dehydrated
iii. “Loam” is an ideal mix of 50/50 clay and sand, trapping enough
moisture to keep plants watered without becoming water-logged!
13. Pathogens
a. Memorize everything on your pathogens list!  Sorry, I really wish I could
narrow this one down further!