Biology Exam 2: #5

Question 1

Gram Staining

Answer 1

SIGNIFICANT way to divide Bacteria into different groups, indicator of biochemical composition of bacterial cell wall; gram positive stains purple while gram negative stains pink

Question 2

Actinobacteria

Answer 2

Important components of forest ecosystems and agricultural systems; anywhere you have soil, common; composed of free-living bacteria and mutualistic bacteria

Question 3

Free living Bacteria

Answer 3

independent, living out in evironment; signfiicant in decomposition of dead/living organic matter(breaks down lignin and cellulose); enzyme released causes decomposition

Question 4

Mutualistic Bacteria: Nitrogen Fixers

Answer 4

filled with actinobacteria that covert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia; form nodules on plant roots give nitrogen to plant, while bacteria get carbon from plant; both benefit from this in reproduction and growth

Question 5

Biofilm

Answer 5

Polysaccharide matrix produced and secreted by bacteria; main component for teeth plague and slippery rocks in streams

Question 6

Bioremediation

Answer 6

technique where bacteria/archaea are used to clean up soil/water contaminated with heavy metal and/or toxins; Organisms break down heavy metals and toxins through metabolic activities; gain energy for growth and reproduction in return

Question 7

Examples of Bacteria using bioremediation

Answer 7

Actinobacteria Arthrobacter globiformis

Protobacteria Geobacter metallireducens - cleans up oil spills, result of breakdown is carbon dioxide(so less dangerous for environment); strategies used to target clean up since it is difficult to make large amounts

Question 8

Biological Control

Answer 8

tecnique/approach where one organism(bacteria) used to control/kill another type of organism; often used in Agriculture

Question 9

Biological Control Example

Answer 9

Firmicute: Bacillus thuringinesis, Insecticidal bacterium; Kills insects and arthropods; Can enter resting stage(endospore) to outlast environmental stress (like drought); Produce toxin crystal that causes insect insides to dissolve

Thuricide is a spray used in crops to be ingested by insects eating plant material; Causes digestive systems of insects to break down(death); living bacteria emerge from endospores that colonize on plants

Question 10

The “cry” gene

Answer 10

gene associated with toxic crystal production; gene molecularly inserted into plant genomes through genetic engineering (corn, cabbage, peanuts); helps resolve issue if high expense for thuricide

Question 11

Issue for plants being given the “cry” gene

Answer 11

insects develop a resistant population to the plants effected, now can eat the corn without dying

Question 12

Example of Biological Control to fight disease spreading insects

Answer 12

Proteobacteria Wolbachia; goes into system of female insect and never goes away; considered the male killer since can sterilize males when mating, kill males before birth, and can feminize males in egg(creating true female); if only females, population will die out

Used to fight Zika Virus and Malaria

Question 13

Cyanobacteria

Answer 13

Common in aquatic ecosystem, often referred to as “blue-green algae” BUT NOT ALGAE; Only photosynthetic bacterial group; abundant in systems with very high nutrients (ex. Nitrogen, phosphorus) what we refer to as Eutrophic systems; Associated with “algal blooms”(along with EUKARYOTIC algae)

Question 14

Microcystis

Answer 14

Cyanobacteria species strongly associated with algal blooms and poor water quality; Nitrogen fixers(discussed with Actinobacteria); produce toxins called microcystin
 Cause SIGNIFICANT water issues, yet VERY important in Lake Erie, watershed

Question 15

Example of Microcystis

Answer 15

Water Issues in Lake Erie and Toledo; boiling water advisory; Seen from dogs drinking lake water and getting horribly sick

Question 16

Microcystin

Answer 16

toxic to many organisms; used naturally by bacteria to reduce competition for resources

Question 17

Well Known Bacteria E.coli

Answer 17

Found in mammal gastroistestinal(digestive) tracts;Critically important to digestive efficiency and capability
o Common in sewage(from human feces); associated with water pollution(fecal coliforms); contaminates drinking water
 When boil alerts happen, this is because of fecal coliforms occurring
o Different strains(genetic variability/diff. in traits): includes pathogens
 E. coli O157:H7 strain code: highly infectious, often from food contamination; some can produce devastating toxins
 SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE for KIDNEYS

Question 18

Well Known Proteobacteria E.coli

Answer 18

Found in mammal gastrointestinal(digestive) tracts, Critically important to digestive efficiency and capability

Common in sewage (from human feces); associated with water pollution (fecal coliforms); contaminates drinking water

When boil alerts happen, this is because of fecal coliforms occurring

Different strains (genetic variability/diff. in traits): includes pathogens

E. coli O157:H7 strain code: highly infectious, often from food contamination; some can produce devastating toxins; SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE for KIDNEYS

Question 19

Firmicutes: Streptococcus pneumoniae

Answer 19

• bacteria associated with disease, can cause pneumonia or pneumococcal meningitis; starts off commensal and then develops into a pathogen and harms host
• BACTERIA that can save you is Amycolatpsis orientalis (Actinobacteria)(+); Produces Vancomycin( the “nuclear” antibiotic); Used to treat serious Gram-positive infections, like pneumococcal meningitis

NOT ALL BAD(Streptococcus thermophiles/swiss cheese)

Question 20

Staphylococcus

Answer 20

bacteria that can cause skin infections and respiratory infections

Question 21

Firmicutes Staphylococcus aureus

Answer 21

Bacteria that can cause significant skin infections (MRSA): often found in hospitals and athletic facilities

Can be contacted safely until reaching cut/scrape in skin(becomes pathogen); Commonly treated with methicillin antibiotic; Mutation in bacteria led to resistance; New antibiotic that had same resistance occurred; now to treat is multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Question 22

Spirochaetes: borrelia burgdorferi

Answer 22

Bacteria that cause Lyme Disease, along with three other species of Borrelia; Can transfer disease through tick bites; Treatable with antibiotics;

Symptoms of fatigue, rash/joint issues with first SIGNIFICANT symptom are bullseye rash(its common but not only way identification); Untreated can lead to significant neurological issues, brain inflammation

likelihood of encountering ticks(and catching disease) depends on climate variation

Question 23

Protobacteria: Yersinia pestis(-)

Answer 23

Bacteria that cause Black Plague; Major historical outbreaks: mid 1300s, 75-200 million people died across Eurasia and northern Africa(over half pop. In Europe)

Rats present everywhere in society, thrived and present with them everywhere; Rats carry Y.p. in system; When Y.p. taken by flea in blood, can block digestive tract and feel like they are starving; so biting people everywhere, including humans

Question 24

Different types of Black Plague

Answer 24

Septicemic(blood-borne), Bubonic, and Pneumonic form

Question 25

Septicemic(blood-borne) form

Answer 25

o Hemorrhages of capillaries below skin
o Leads to dying tissue and gangrene
o Breaks down system in body
o Treated well with antibiotics

Question 26

Bubonic Form

Answer 26

• attacks Lymph nodes with swelling, amongst other common sickness symptoms
• Can be treated with antibiotics

Question 27

Pneumonic Form

Answer 27

o Attacks lungs, spread through human airborne droplets from infected individuals through breathing and coughing, and infected tissue
o Can be treated with antibiotics

Question 28

Protobacteria: helicobacter pylori

Answer 28

o Bacteria associated with stomach/gastrointestinal tract
o Causes gastritis(stomach inflammation), stomach ulcers(can lead to stomach cancer)

Question 29

Dr. Barry Marshall

Answer 29

gastroenterologist that won Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for this work; Studied stomach ulcers and cancer; Drank concentration of it bacteria to learn more about it