Bacteria.

Question 1

What are Bacteria?

Answer 1

• Bacteria are the smallest living organisms.
• Unicellular organisms.
• Every single cell can carry out the seven life processes - movement, reproduction, sensitivity, growth, respiration, excretion and nutrition.
• Only around 1 micrometer in size- microscope needed to see them.

Question 2

Examples of Prokaryotes:

Answer 2

• Escherichia Coli/E Coli (causes food poisoning).
• Streptococcus bacteria (causes sore throats).
• Streptomyces bacteria (found in soil/ antibiotic streptomycin comes from it/kills many
causing bacteria).

Question 3

Cell Wall:

Answer 3

• Made of peptidoglycan
• Holds the cell together.
• Protects it.

Question 4

Genetic Material:

Answer 4

• Floats freely in the cytoplasm.
• One long strand of DNA present= bacterial chromosome.
• Normally circular.

Question 5

Cell Membrane:

Answer 5

• Selective barrier.
• Controls which substances enter/leave cell.

Question 6

Cytoplasm:

Answer 6

• “Jellylike” substance
• Where chemical reactions happen.

Question 7

Flagella:

Answer 7

• “Tail-like” structures.
• Allow cell to move through liquids.

Question 8

Pilli:

Answer 8

Pilli- Tiny “hairlike” structure- enable cell to attach to structures, e.g. cells lining your digestive tract. Also used to transfer genetic material between bacteria.

Question 9

Slime Capsule:

Answer 9

• Outside the cell wall.
• Protects bacterium from drying out/poisonous substances.
• Helps bacteria to stick to smooth surfaces.

Question 10

Plasmid:

Answer 10

• Circular piece of DNA
• Used to store extra genes.
• These genes not normally needed for bacterium’s day to day survival.
• Can help in a time or crisis.
• Is where antibiotic resistance genes can be found.