Bacterial Cell Structure

Question 1

Describe the Plasma Membrane and Name the function.

Answer 1

1. Made of Phospholipids
2. Have a Amphipathic Structure
3. Hopanoids
4. Controls what goes in and out of the cell

Question 2

What are Hopanoids?

Answer 2

1. Sterol-like molecules similar to cholesterol

2. Maintain membrane fluidity

Question 3

What restricts hopaniods from moving around the cell?

Answer 3

Cold Temperatures

Question 4

What is an Ester Bond?

Answer 4

Chemical compound derived from an acid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one –OH (hydroxyl) group is replaced by an –O–alkyl (alkoxy) group.

Question 5

Proteins make how much of the mass of the membrane?

Answer 5

50%

Question 6

Name the functions of proteins and give examples.

Answer 6

1. Control Transport
   - Diffusion, Facilitated Diffusion, and Active Transport
2. Capture/store energy
   - Respiration, Photosynthesis, and Co-Transport
3. Control environment and signal transduction

Question 7

Describe the Cytoplasm and name the function.

Answer 7

1. Water
2. Macromolecules
3. Molecular building block/metabolites (amino sugars)
4. Inorganic ions
   - Fluid inside the cell

Question 8

Describe Nucleotides and name the function.

Answer 8

1. Cations
2. Small positive charged proteins
3. Topoisomerase-supercoiling
4. Not membrane-bound
   - Tightly packed DNA

Question 9

What are Inclusion Bodies and name their function.

Answer 9

1. Non-membrane-bound granules inside the cell

2. Nutrient Storage

Question 10

Polyhydroxybutyrate

Answer 10

Carbon Storage

Question 11

Cyanophycin

Answer 11

Nitrogen Storage

Question 12

Volutin

Answer 12

Phosphorus Storage

Question 13

Sulfur Globules

Answer 13

Sulfur Storage

Question 14

What are Gas Vesicles and name their function.

Answer 14

1. Protein Membrane

2. Maintain position in a water column

Question 15

What are Carboxysomes and name their function.

Answer 15

1. Bacteria Cells that have RuBisCO

2. Photosynthetic Carbon Fixation

Question 16

What does RuBisCO do for the bacteria?

Answer 16

Grabs CO2 and join them with other molecules in the cell.

Question 17

Magnetosomes what are they?

Answer 17

Magnetite crystals (iron oxides)

Question 18

What are the 2 functions of a bacteria’s cell wall?

Answer 18

1. Protect from change in osmotic pressure and mechanical/shear forces
2. Gives characteristic shapes

Question 19

What is the basic unit that holds peptidoglycan together?

Answer 19

NAG-NAM

Question 20

What gives NAG-NAM strength to do its function?

Answer 20

Teidoic Acid and Libofeichoic acid

Question 21

What can assist NAG-NAM to stay together?

Answer 21

Peptide Crosslink

Question 22

Explain the difference of gram positive and gram negative bacteria.

Answer 22

Positive: Peptidoglycan are outside of the cell which makes it hard to break open to the inside structures
Negative: Peptidoglycan are inside of the cell which makes it easy to break open

Question 23

Function of peptidoglycan in Gram negative bacteria.

Answer 23

1. Protects it from lysozyme

2. Resists chemical attacks

Question 24

What is special about the outer layer of the outer membrane of negative gram bacteria?

Answer 24

It’s made of lipopolysaccharides (Chains of Sugars)