Bacteria Characteristics

Question 1

Bacteria are important because

Answer 1

they decompose organic material and are important to nutrient cycles, SOME ARE PATHOGENIC=cause disease

Question 2

Are bacterial cells pro or euk?

Answer 2

prokaryotic, their cell wall is made up of peptidogylcan=protein and carbs

Question 3

gram positive vs negative

Answer 3

POSITIVE: thicker cell wall, thick peptidoglycan in wall (PURPLE-LESS COMMON)

NEGATIVE: thin cell wall with lipoproteins (PINK-MORE COMMON)

Question 4

What do bacteria use flagella and pilli for?

Answer 4

movement and environmental interaction

Question 5

bacterial shapes

Answer 5

bacillus-rod
coccus-sphere
spirillus- spiral
vibrio-boomerang
spirochaetes- tight coils

strepto- chain like
staphylo-grape like cluster

Question 6

how do bacteria reproduce

Answer 6

binary fission, asexual: exchange DNA through conjugation tube to another bacteria

Question 7

what is plasmid dna?

Answer 7

small DNA molecule within a cell that is separated from chromosomal DNA and replicate independently

Question 8

Bacterial Growth

Answer 8

LAG PHASE: bacteria adjusts to new environment and grows slowly
LOG PHASE: exponential growth
STATIONARY PHASE: bacteria have reached carrying capacity of the environment
DEATH PHASE: logarithmic death of bacteria as nutrients get used up

Question 9

photosynthesizers

Answer 9

bacteria getting energy via photosynthesis ex. cyanobacteria that made the earths o2 atmosphere

Question 10

chemoautotrophs

Answer 10

breakdown chemicals found in the soil for nutrition, bacterial waste act as a fertilizer to help with agriculture

Question 11

heterotrophs

Answer 11

decomposers of the environment by releasing nutrients back into the soil after things have died; WORK WITH FUNGI

Question 12

mutualism

Answer 12

interaction where everyone benefits
EXAMPLE: nitrogen fixing bacteria in soil and naturally occurring gut bacteria

Question 13

parasitism

Answer 13

interaction where one party benefits and the other is negatively affected

Question 14

How is bacteria harmful?

Answer 14

• metabolize their host using different parts of the body as a food source ex. tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that attacks the lungs and eats the tissue and can reproduce in the moist environment
• bacteria can cause disease by secreting chemical compounds called toxins into their environment, ex. food poisoning

Question 15

how can you treat bacterial diseases?

Answer 15

antibiotics that punch holes in the cell walls of bacteria to allow the bodies natural defences to be more effective OR prevent bacterial reproduction

Question 16

Antibiotic resistant bacteria

Answer 16

• bacteria that remain after antibiotic course can mutate their DNA and produce more bacteria that are resistant, making treatment difficult
• not taking anitibiotics for as long leaves opportunity for the unskilled bacteria to reproduce resistant cells

Question 17

antibacterial soaps?

Answer 17

bacteria on our skin can become resistant to antibacterial chemicals in the soap

Question 18

superbug

Answer 18

bacterium that cannot be destroyed by antibiotics

Question 19

penicillin helps with

Answer 19

bacterial infections, NOT THE COLD OR FLU-VIRAL INFECTIONS

Question 20

bacteria and tech

Answer 20

food prep- pickles, cheese, yogurt, etc.
bioremediation-cleaning up toxic chemicals in environment by breaking it down into less toxic products
pesticides- specific to pest and don’t harm plants
bioengineering- used to reproduce specific genes to mass produce proteins products (EX. INSULIN)

Question 21

good stuff abt bacteria

Answer 21

• decompose
• probiotics in digestive tract
• food prep
• used in mines to breakdown surrounding rock and leave behind useful ore

Question 22

bacterial classification

Answer 22

aerobic- grows with o2
anaerobic- grows w/o o2
obligate aerobes- must have o2
obligate anaerobes- must have NO o2
facultative anaerobes- can growth with/without o2