Chapter 1 Intro

Question 1

What are the different domains microbes are found in?

Answer 1

Question 2

What is the largest single-celled bacteria?

Largest single-celled Eukaryote?

Largest multi-cellular Eukaryote?

Answer 2

The largest single celled bacteria is Epulopiscium and is .200-.500 mm

The largest single celled Eukaryote is Caulerpa taxifolia (Killer algae) and is 1-3 m

The largest multi cellular eukaryote is armillaria spp: Honey mushroom and is 30 acres in Michigan (found by Dr. Bruhn, 1992)

Question 3

What is the smallest bacteria (2 answers) and their size?

Answer 3

1. Prochlorococcus marinus is .4 micrometers, coccus shaped. It is responsible for 50% of photosynthesis in pelagic ocean (open ocean).
2. Mycoplasma penumoniae causes walking pneumonia and is grouped with gram +. It is .2-.3 micrometers and has no cell wall.

Question 4

How many bacteria contain known human pathogens?

Answer 4

10 out of 120 bacterial phyla contain known human pathogens - no archaea and some eukarya.

Question 5

How many microbes are on Earth and what do they do?

Answer 5

5 x10^30 or 5:25 times the total mass of animal life

Most are non-pathogenic, cycling elements, protecting our skin, used for food and biotechnology: antibiotics, nano fabrication, viral cures for cancer and alzheimer’s, enzymes that breakdown lactose

Question 6

Where did Eukarya arise from?

Answer 6

Archaea

to form two domains: Euk-archaea and bacteria

Question 7

Virus

Answer 7

consists of a non-cellular particle containing genetic material that takes over the metabolism of a cell to generate more virus particles

genome shows evidence that it evolved from a cell, although they are not fully functional cells

debate on whether or not they are considered alive..most likely not because they dont have ribosomes

Question 8

Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes

Answer 8

Prokaryotes: cells lacking a nucleus, including bacteria and archaea

Eukaryotes: cells with a nucleus; includes simple multicellular forms: algae, fungi, and protists