Cell Division Flashcards
What do microbes affect ?
Nearly everything !
- affect food availability - destroy crops /. Preserve food
- microbial diseases change history ( can shape how communities are formed )
Everywhere in life we are encountering microbes
N.B. Average adult has 1kg of microbes in gut
What are the 6 major groups studied by microbiologists?
- prokaryotes ( bacteria ) / ( archaea)
- eukaryotes ( algae )/ ( protests ) / ( fungi)
- viruses
What do you know about the discovery of microbes?
- light microscope invented in 1600s
- mid 1600s Hooke observes small eukaryotes
Who was anton van Leeuwenhoek ?
- Dutch scientist
- invented first compound microscope
First to observe living cells
He found prokaryotes
( took dental plaque from teeth to look at microbes )
What are microbes ?
Living organisms
- microbes arise from other microbes
- No spontaneous generation
- 1861- Pasteur shows that microbes do Not grow in liquid until introduced from outside
What is used to classify microbes?
- gram stains
- ability to metabolise different substrates
- use DNA sequence to classify - bacterial genomes are relatively small
What is the microbial family tree?
Microbial species are difficult to classify
- difficult to distinguish by shape
- often asexually reproduce
- pass DNA to each other without reproduction
They may have similar shapes but very different !
Archaea are not bacteria
Similar size, shape
Very different biochemistry
What are the differences between gram positive and gram negative ?
they react differently with gram staining - P= retain crystal violet dye and stain dark violet or purple N= can be decolourised to accept counterstain ( safranin ) - stain red
Peptidoglycan layer - P= thick ( multilayered) , N= thin ( single layered)
Teichoic acids - P= present in many , N= Absent
periplasmic space = P= Absent , N= present
outer membrane: P= Absent , N= Present
there are other factors to consider…
There were three basic shapes, arrangements and sizes for bacteria, what are they ?
- coccus - spherical
- bacillus - rod
- spirillium - helical, comma, twisted rod
What are some types of Bacillus ?
- coccobacillus - very short and plump (e.g. brucella abortus)
- streptobacilli ( bacillus subtilis)
- diplobacili
( there is also a type called Plemorphic - variable in shape ( corynebacterium)
What are some types of Spirillum ?
- spirochete - spring - like Flexible ( treponema pallidum )
- vibrio - gently curved ( vibrio cholera)
- spirilla - rigid ( Borella Species)
What are diplococci ?
- cocci that remain in pairs after dividing
what are streptococci?
- cocci that remain in chains after dividing
What are tetrads?
cocci that divide in two planes and remain in groups of four
What are sarcinae ?
cocci that divide in three planes and remain in groups cubes like groups of 8
What are staphylococci ?
- cocci that divide in multiple planes and form grape like clusters or sheets
What are bacilli?
- most bacilli appear as single rods
What are diplobacilli ?
- appears in pairs after division
What are streptobacilli?
appears in chains after division
What are coccobacillus ?
- some bacilli are so short and fat that they look like cocci
what is the size of bacterium?
- it would take approx 1000 bacteria placed end to end to span the 2mm semi - conductor
What does it mean to say ‘ growth of microbes’?
- increase in number of cells , not cell size
- one cell becomes colony of millions of cells
What are some direct methods ?
- dilution and plating
- microscopic counts
What are some indirect methods?
-estimating bacterial numbers by indirect methods -
e. g.
- Spectrophotometry - to measure turbidity , OD is function of cell number
- metabolic activity is another example
- dry weight
What are some environmental limits on microbial growth?
Nutrient source Temperature pH Osmolarity Oxygen Pressure