A.    The staining reaction is the acid-fast stain. It is a differential stain used to identify members of the genus Mycobacterium. While mycobacteria are difficult to Gram stain, they will stain red when treated with carbolfuchsin and heat. When washed with a dilute acid-alcohol solution, they retain the red color, hence they are called "acid-resistant" or "acid-fast". Other bacteria will lose their color when washed in dilute acid-alcohol. A.    Although E.

A:  Cold Sores, Fever Blisters and Herpes are caused by the herpes simplex virus. It is estimated that 45 million Americans are plagued by this pesky virus. The virus most often lives in the nerve ganglia of your brain and travels down the nerve cells to the skin to multiply. When this migration occurs, the sufferer can usually feel the trouble brewing as a "twinging" feeling at the lip or around the mouth where the lesion is going to form.

A:  One common denominator is that our products are designed to put the ionic silver in the place where it is needed and only where it is needed. This allows us to use thousands of times less active agent than an oral antibiotic or antiviral. What this means to the user is that they can be far less concerned about "taking too much" than they would be with most common medications. This product is a tool with which you can positively improve your health.

A.    Antibodies can neutralize viruses and toxins, lyse bacteria, clump microbes and their products into larger complexes that are cleared from the body more easily, and increase the rate of phagocytosis of those particles. Q.    How similar to the format of questions on the last test will be the questions on this test. That is to say, what are you expecting us to be able to demonstrate a knowledge of? (i.e. general concepts, specific terms) A.

A.    R factors are plasmids that contain antibiotic resistance genes (R for resistance). A.    Abcesses, scalded skin syndrome and impetigo contagiosum are the three. As for salient differences, Webster's defines salient as prominent or conspicuous. A.    The supplemental readings are available online through our classes website. The article is called "AIDS knowledge and sexual attitudes." Q.

A.    ELISA stands for enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. It is a test that detects either specific antigen or specific antibody. A positive reaction leads to a color change.

A.    From the American Heratge Dictionary, lymphadeopathy is a chronic, abnormal enlargement of the lymph nodes, usually associated with disease. This is typically a result of immune system involvement, and proliferation of T and B lymphocytes in response to antigenic stimulation. If you want me to answer your question directly, please leave your name and e-mail address (optional):

Puerperal fever is an infection that sets in after childbirth, particularly when the birth is performed under unsanitary conditions. The infection spreads from the birth canal and uterus into the abdominal cavity, and if untreated, causes death from peritonitis. In Henry VIII's time, of course, there were no antibiotics, and sanitary conditions were unheard of, so many women died of puerperal infection, known at the time as childbed fever.

A.    First, you need to have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer. This installer program is available on the latest version of the MUnet CD-ROM. Alternatively, you can download the installer program directly from Adobe by clicking on the Acrobat icon on the classses' home page. As you download the software, pay attention to where on your hard drive the installer program is being saved. After downloading the software, double-click the installer program's icon.

A.    It may be useful, but I have not used it in my course. If it were me, I would probably save my money. A.    The best way to determine whether a disease is caused by a bacterium or a virus is to memorize it from the notes. There is a clue about treatment that can help help remembering. Typically, antibiotics can be used only to treat diseases caused by bacteria. They are ineffective against viruses.

A.    Yes and no. Since the course grade is based on total points, letter grades for individual exams are not used in the calculation of a final grade. I do provide a curved letter grade scale for individual exams, but these letter grades should be considered advisory, and used by the student to gauge their individual performance with respect to the rest of the class. However, I will use the curve for each assignment/exam in determining a weighted average curve for the course. A.

A.    I would know distinguishing features. Divide the features of each cell type into features in common between cell types, and features that are unique to each cell type. Q.    What is the technical difference between a nucleus and a nucleoid, refering to the eukaryote and the prokaryote. A.    The technical difference is that a nucleus (in eukaryotic cells) is contained within a membrane within the cytoplasm.

A.    IgG forms the main antibody component (80%) of blood. It also can cross the placenta. IgA is the main secreted antibody. It can be found in breast milk, saliva, tears, and secretions into the repiratory, intestinal and urogenital tract.

A.    This would include (but is not limited to) chain formation, packet formation, occuring in pairs, etc.. Q.    You said in the helminth section of handout 3 that there are multicellular eukaryotes with no cell walls. Wouldn't that make them prokaryotes? I thought that eukaryotes had cell walls as a distinguishing factor. A.    No. Cell walls are not a distinguishing feature of either eukaryote or prokaryotes.

A.    Although both are phagocytes, they also have some specialized functions. The PMN is the first phagocyte recruited to sites of inflammation. They are loaded with lytic enzymes, and are very efficient at phagocytic killing. Macrophages are less capable of phagocytic killing unless activated, but they can also serve as antigen-presenting cells, thus they can help in the activation of helper T cells. A.    You need to compare a little deeper.

A.    Yes. Since chickenpox and shingles are caused by the same virus (varicella zoster), the shingles vaccine is the chickenpox vaccine

A.    There is a statistical correlation between infection with Herpes simplex type II and cervical cancer in women.

A.    Oocysts (a.k.a. cysts) are dormant yey infectious form of some protozoan parasites. Thet possess a cell wall that protects them from the environment. When the protozoan parasite is an intestinal pathogen, the oocysts are typically shed in feces.

A:  DermaSeptic is an electronic skin care device.  You simply apply a very small amount of KlearGel (special conductive gel) to the sore and the pure silver tip and hold the device against your skin.  The only thing you will notice that the green LED light will begin to flash.  The flashing green light indicates that you have made proper contact with the skin and that the device is working. 

A:  No.  You should not feel any sensation.  In very unusual circumstances, clients have noted a very, very slight tingling.  This is not a problem.

A:  We have experienced a very low return rate of products where the customer used the DermaSeptic.  (Some people return the product before they try it.)  We recognize that not all products are for everyone.  Therefore, we provide a 90 day satisfaction guarantee.  Call us (888-303-3388) and we will provide you with directions for returning.  If there is a problem with a defective unit, we will fix or replace the unit during the first year.

A:  A number of our customers are using the DermaSeptic to rid themselves of persistent warts. This can be accomplished quite effectively in most cases. Recognizing the correct protocol for using the DermaSeptic and diligence are key to a successful outcome.Although the term "warts" was originally intended to describe a tumorous growth condition which is caused by a virus, over the years it has been stretched to encompass a much greater set.

A.    No. In fact, you are required to do two written reports, one of which you also present to the class. The reason for the oral portion is to contribute to the material to which students are exposed in this class, in essence contributing to the curriculum. To not do the oral portion of the report would be to deprive your classmates of your insight and experience.

A.    Variolation is the technique used to prevent fatal smallpox infection. Scab material from a mild (or less pathogenic) case is administered, in an attempt to give the person a milder case. Once someone has survived smallpox, regardless of the virulence of the virus, one has lifelong immunity. A.    Not exactly. Normal flora are those microorganisms with which we have a commensalistic or mutualistic symbiosis. They live on us, but don't normally cause disease.

A.    The main factor that influences the result of a Gram stain (whether an organism is classified as Gram positive or Gram negative) is the structure of their cell wall. The Gram positive cell wall is much thicker than that of the gram negative organism, thus it retains the dark purple stain. The Gram negative cell wall is much thinner, and it is readily decolorized with alchohol.

A.    In cases of botulism food poisoning, there is no infection, so there is nothing for the antibiotic to kill. The disease is caused by ingesting a microbial poison (toxin).

A.    You should also know that the viruses that cause measles (rubeola) and german measles (rubella) are unrelated.