Bacteria

Question 1

What is a Prokaryote organism?

Answer 1

Is a single celled organism which has neither a distinct nucleus with a membrane nor any other specialised organelles.

Question 2

Key shapes and growth patterns

Answer 2

Cocci - circular
Bacilli - rod
Spirilli - spiral

Diplo - in pairs
Strepto - in chains
Staphylo - in clusters

Question 3

Aerobic versus anaerobic

Answer 3

Aerobic - grow and reproduce in the presence of oxygen

Anaerobic - can live without the presence of oxygen

Question 4

Facilitating anaerobes versus obligate anaerobes

Answer 4

Facilitative anaerobes - grow whether or not oxygen is present e.g. Tonsillitis
Obligate anaerobes - do not grow in the presence of oxygen e.g. Tetanus

Question 5

Binary fission for bacteria - conjugation

Answer 5

Conjugation is a mechanism of gene transfer that requires direct contact between the donor and recipient cells.

Question 6

What are endospores?

Answer 6

An endospore is a dormant, tough, non reproductive structure produced by a small number of bacteria from the firmicute family. The primary function is to ensure the survival of bacterium through periods of environmental stress.

Question 7

What are the key structures in a bacterium?

Answer 7

There is the capsule, cell wall made of peptidoglycan, cell membrane, plasmids, ribosomes, cytoplasm, nucleiode (circular DNA), pilli and a bacterial flagellum.