Bacteria and the bacterial dream Flashcards
Total number of known pathogens?
Around 2500
What makes up most known pathogens?
Bacteria
Difference in genome between bacteria that need other organisms to survive vs bacteria that dont?
Bacteria that need other organisms have smaller genomes
What are baccili?
Rod shaped bacteria
What are cocci?
Circular shaped bacteria
How can cocci form?
Alone, diplococci, in clusters
What are spirilli?
Spiral shaped bacteria
Which three characteristics of bacteria are the most important for determining cell shape?
Nutrients, division, predation
Why is predation important for determining cell shape/size?
If bacterium has no predators it can grow to be v big bc it doesnt need to hide
Why is nutrients important for determining cell shape/size?
more available nutrients = more availability for the bacteria to grow
What is the bacterium goldilocks effect?
For bacteria to be predated it needs to be the correct size for the predator–> if it is out of this “goldilocks zone” it will survive
Why does helicobacter pylori have a helical shape?
So it can penetrate the viscous mucus of the stomach–> can enter the stomach lining
What does helicobacter pylori cause?
Stomach ulcers
Why do we need to understand/study bacterial growth?
Human health, bacteria (protein production), environment (how they infect the planet)
What is the dream of a bacterium?
To become two bacteria
Step 1 of bacterial replicaiton?
Increase mass and volume of the cell
What follows cell mass and vol increasing in bacterial replication?
Chromosomes replicates and segregates
What follows the chromosomes replicating in bacterial replication?
Generate the division plane (z ring in bacteria)
What is the z ring?
Kinda like typing a piece of string in the middle of the bacteria and tightening it to split the bacteria into two
What follows generation of the z ring in bacterial replication?
Binary fission
Acronym for bacterial growth conditions?
FAT TOM
What does FAT TOM stand for?
Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, Moisture
What are the nutritional requirements for bacterial growth?
Carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulphur, phosphate, oxygen sources as well as essential AAs, and essential vitamins and minerals
What is heterotrophy?
An organism that cant make its own food, and so takes carbon sources from elsewhere
What is autotrophy?
conversion of abiotic sources of energy into energy stored in organic compounds
Examples of autotrophy?
Photosynthesis
Example of using acidity to protect smthn from bacteria?
Putting food into vinegar
What is an extremophile?
Can thrive in extreme conditions
What is a thermophile?
Can survive in heat
What is a pshycrophile?
Can survive in ice
What is a halophile?
Can survive in high salinity
What is an obligate aerobe?
Has to be provided o2 to live and grow
What is a micro-aerophile?
Needs a little bit of o2 to grow
What os a facultative anaerobe?
Can grow in the presence/absence of oxygen
What is an aerotolerant anerobe?
Will grow with oxygen present but it isnt optimal
What is an obligate anerobe?
Wont grow in the presence of oxygen
How can bacteria grow in solutions with suboptimal water content?
Can change compatible solutes within the cell to counterbalance the gap in salinity
Which solutes can e changed in bacteria to balance a gap in salinity?
AAs, polyols, sugars, methylamines, methylsulfonium compounds and urea
Fastidious bacteria?
Bacteria that need a specific st of conditions to grow
What is the great plate count anomaly?
The diff between # of cells counted and viable cells plated out on a petri dish
How does an Ichip work?
Take sample of where the bacteria is growing and put it into the chip–> each hole in the chip has space for one bacterium
