bacteria Structure Flashcards
What are glycocalyces?
Gelatinous, sticky substances surrounding the outside of the cell.
What does glycocalyces contain?
Polysaccharides , polypeptides, or both
Where are two types of glycocalyces. What are they?
Capsule and slime layer
Describe the structure of a capsule of the bacteria?
Composed of organized repeating units of organic chemicals. And is firmly attached to the surface of the cell.
What is the purpose of the capsule?
Protects cells from drying out and may prevent bacteria from being recognized and destroyed by host
What is a slime layer of a bacteria?
A sticky layer that allows prokaryotes to attach to surface. It is loosely attached to the cell surface. It is water souble and protects cells from drying out.
Examples of bacteria that has a slime layer
Pseudomas, streptococcus mutans uses is a gensus that adheres To the teeth of humans and can cause tooth decay because it uses sucrose to synthesis a biofilm teeth.
What is a flagellum?
The flagellum is a long protein structure responsible motility .
How does a flagellum work?
By spinning like a propel, using proton motive force as energy, the flagella pushes like a ship .
Bacteria with a flagellum can cause disease . Name one?
Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that causes disease. It has a powerful flagellum at one end of it spiral shaped cell, it allows H.pylori to penetrate the vicious mucous gel that coats the stomach.
The flagellum is composed of three parts. What are they?
Filament, hook, basal body
Describe the filament structure of the flagellum?
Is made up of a protein called flagellin. The flagellin is arranged in a helical structure with a hollow core.
Describe the hook portion of the flagellum.
Connects the filament to the cell surface and is curved.
Describe the basal body of the flagellum
Basal body anchors the flagellum to the cell wall and the cytoplasmic membrane
What does monotrichous mean?
Having a single flagellum at only one pole or end. E.g. Vibrio sp
What does peritrichous mean?
Having cilia or appendicular organs around a bacterium e.g ecoli
What does lophotrichous means?
Having two or more flagella at one end. E.g. Pseudomonas sp
What does amphitrichous mean?
Having a flagellum at both ends e.g spirilum
What is the purpose of bacterial flagella structure?
Movement
What protein makes up bacterial flagella structure?
Flagellin, deposited in a helix at the lengthening tip
Facts about the bacterial flagella structure?
Base of filament inserts into hook
Filaments capsule of rotating 360 degree
What anchors filament ?
Basal body anchors filament and hook to cell wall by a rod and a series of either two or four rings of integral proteins.
Sex pilus
Used for the transfer of DNA , longest pilus , it is used to join the two cells for e.g ecoli.
What are pilus ?
Hair like projections of the cell
What are endospores?
Dormant cell,
Produced when starved,
Resistant to adverse conditions such as temp,organic solvent.
What is the chemical that is in endospores?
Calcium dipicolinate
Example of bacteria with endospores
Bacillus and clostridium
What is the structure of endospores?
Peptidoglycan layer, cortex, between two membranes, less cross linked, dehydrated muramic acid (lactam)
Definition of cell wall
Consist of cell membrane, cell wall included embedded proteins and glycocalyces or capsule.
Functions of the cell wall
Barrier ( osmotic protection, regulated environment (ph, solute gradients) Solute transport Electron transport Electrochemical gradients/ ATP synthesis Motility Lipid biosynthesis Protein secretion
What is attached to the phosphates on the cytoplasmic membrane structure
Calcium ions and magnesium ions
Function of Permeability barrier
Prevents leakage and functions as a gateway for transport of nutrients into and out of the cell.
What is the function of protein anchor?
Site of many proteins involved in transport, bioenergetics and chemo taxis
What is energy conservation?
Site of generation and use of the proton motive force.