Bacterial cells Flashcards
What are positive impacts of microbes in agriculture?
Nitrogen fixing, regeneration of nutrients in soil, cleaning of pollutants
What is the diameter of prokaryotic cells?
0.2µm to 700µm
What is the size of rod shaped bacteria?
0.5-4µm in diameter and up to 15µm long
What are the most common bacteria?
Cocci and bacilli
What are the properties of bacterial cells?
- Metabolism
- Growth
- Evolution
- Differentiation
- Communication
- Genetic exchange
- Motility
Anatomy of bacteria cells
- Cell wall
- Plasma membrane
- Cytoplasm
- Ribosomes
- Nucleoid
- Plasmids
- Flagella
What is the glycocalyx?
Polymers of sugars surrounding the cell to prevent dehydration and protect the cell
Flagella
Large hair like structures which use the proton motive force (pmf) to move
Pili
Small hairs on the outside of cell to attach to surfaces and infect cells
Cytoplasmic membrane
Thin barrier which separates the cytoplasm from environment, uptake and excretes nutrients and allows pmf to generate
Bacteria endospores
Can resist extreme environments and cause food borne diseases
Endotoxins
Parts of the structural components of bacterial cells (toxic)
Cytoplasm
Contains DNA, RNA, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and inorganic ions
Cell inclusions
Energy and carbon reserves to reduce osmotic stress
Magnetosomes
Magnetic iron oxides which allow cells to migrate along magnetic field lines
