Chapter 2 - Microbial Cell Structure and Function Flashcards
What kind of light does a compound light microscope use?
Visible light
How does a bright-field microscope work?
Specimens are visualized in contrast between specimen and surroundings
What are the lenses a bright-field microscope uses?
Objective and ocular lens
Magnification
The ability to make an object larger
Resolution
The ability to distinguish two adjacent objects as separate and distinct
Limit of resolution for a light microscope
0.2 μm
As wavelength decreases
Resolution improves
Two points are viewed as separate objects when
Light passes between them
What are dyes?
Organic compounds that bind to specific cellular materials
Simple Staining
One dye used to color specimen
Chromophore
Colored portion of dye
Basic dye
Positive charged chromophore
Binds to negatively charged molecule on cell surface
Acidic dye
Negatively charged chromophore
Repelled by cell surface
Used to stain background
Negative stain
Example of basic dye
Crystal violet
Example of acidic dye
Nigrosin
Gram positive
Cells that retain a primary stain - purple
Gram negative
Cells that lose the primary stain and take color of counterstain - red or pink
Acid fast stain
Detects mycolic acid in the cell wall of the genus Mycobacterium - pink, anything else will be blue
Endospore stain
Endospores retain primary - green, cells counterstained - pink
Phase-contrast microscopy
Phase ring amplifies differences in the refractive index of cell and surroundings
Advantages of phase-contrast microscopy
Improves the contrast of sample without the use of stain
Live samples can be seen
Phase-contrast appearance
Dark cells on a light background
Dark field microscopy
Specimen is illuminated with a hollow cone, only refracted light enters the objective
Dark field appearance
Specimen is bright and background is dark
Advantages of dark field microscopy
Observe bacteria that don’t stain well
Fluorescence microscopy
Used to visualize specimens that fluoresce
Fluorescence microscopy appearance
Emit light of one color when illuminated with another color of light. Some cells fluoresce naturally
Chlorophyll fluoresce
Absorbs light at 430 nm (blue-violet)
Emits at 670 nm (red)
DAPI
Fluorescent dye that binds to DNA
Differential interference contrast microscopy
Uses a polarizer to create two distinct beams of polarized light
DIC microscopy appearance
Structures appear three-dimensional
DIC structures that can be seen
Endospores, vacuoles, and granules
Confocal scanning laser microscopy
Uses a computerized microscope coupled with a laser source to generate a three-dimensional image
Advantaged of CSLM
Can focus on a single layer
Layers can be compiled for a three-dimensional image
Resolution is 0.1 μm
Wavelength of electrons
Much shorter than light (better resolution)
Transmission electron microscope
Electron beam focused on specimen by condenser. Electrons pass through the specimen are focused by two sets of lenses. Electrons strike a fluorescent viewing screen.
What is used for a lens on a TEM?
Magnet
Advantages of TEM
High magnification and resolution (0.2 nm)
Specimen requirements for TEM
Must be very thin (20-60 nm)
Must be stained with metal - lead or uranium
Why must a cell be stained with a metal?
To make them more electron dense
Enables visualization of structures at molecular level
Scanning electron microscopy
Specimen is coated with a thin film of heavy metal (e.g., gold). An electron beam scans the object. Scattered electrons are collected by a detector and an image is produced.
SEM image
3D image of a specimen’s surface
Bacteria
Diverse metabolism
Live in a broad range of ecosystems
Pathogens and non-pathogens
Archaea
Diverse metabolism
Live in extreme environments
Non-pathogens
Coccus
Roughly spherical
Bacillus
Rod shaped
Spirillum
Spiral shaped
Spirochete
Spiraled and more flexible
Budding and appendaged bacteria
Have a stalk or hyphae
Filamentous bacteria
Appear like hyphae
Morphology does not predict
Physiology, ecology, phylogency
What shape of cells promote gliding motility?
Filamentous
What shape of cell allows swimming motility?
Helical or spiral-shaped
Advantages of small cells or those with high surface-to-volume ratio
Optimization for nutrient intake
Size range for prokaryote cells
0.2 μm to >700 μm
Size range for eukaryote cells
10 μm to >200 μm
Advantages of small cells
Higher surface area relative to cell volume
Support greater nutrient exchange per unit cell volume
Tend to grow faster
Lower limits of cell size
Small cells are found in
Open oceans
Cytoplasmic membrane
Thin structure that surround the cell, it separates the cytoplasm from the environment
Highly selective permeable barrier
Enables concentration of specific metabolites and excretion of waste products
General structure of membranes
Phospholipid bilayer
Phospholipid bilayer
Hydrophobic (fatty acids) and hydrophobic (glycerol-phosphate) components
Location of fatty acids and hydrophilic portions
Fatty acids point inward to form hydrophobic environment; hydrophilic portion remains exposed to external environment
Ester phospholipids
Glycerol, 2 fatty acids, phosphate, and optional side chain
Amphipathic
Has both polar and non-polar characteristics
Polar
Molecule carries a charge
Hydrophilic
Non-polar
Molecule is uncharged
Hydrophobic
Gram negative membrane proteins
Interacts with a variety of proteins (periplasmic proteins) that bind substrates or process large molecules for transport
Inner surface of cytoplasmic membrane
Interacts with proteins involved in energy-yielding reactions and other cellular functions
Integral membrane proteins
Firmly embedded in the membrane
Peripheral membrane proteins
One portion anchored in the membrane
Archaeal membrane linkages
Ether linkages in phospholipids
Bacterial and Eukarya membrane linkages
Ester linkages
Archaeal lipids lack and have what instead
Fatty acids; have isoprenes
Archaeal major lipids
Glycerol diethers and triethers
Structure of archaeal lipid
Monolayers, bilayers, or mixture
Advantage of monolayer lipid
Extremely heat resistant
Where are monolayer lipids usually found?
Hyperthermophilic archaea
Permeability barrier
Polar and charged molecules must be transported
Transport proteins accumulate solutes against the concentration gradient
Protein anchor
Holds transport proteins in place
Energy conservation
Site of generation of proton motive force
Carrier-mediated transport systems
Show saturation effect
Highly specific
Three major classes of transport systems in prokaryotes
Simple transport
Group translocation
ABC system
Simple transport
Driven by the energy in the proton motive force
Group translocation
Chemical modification of the transported substance driven by PEP (phosphoenolpyruvate)
What does all transport systems require?
Energy in some form, usually proton motive force or ATP
ABC system
Chaperone protein is used to lead the protein to the port (periplasmic binding)
Three transport events
Uniport, symport, antiport
Uniport
One direction across the membrane
Symport
Co-transporters (two molecules moves across membrane in same direction)
Antiporters
One molecule into the membrane, one molecule out
Example of simple transport
Lac permease of E. coli
Lac permease
Helps transport lactose and H+ into E. coli
Group translocation
Sugar is phosphorylated during transport across the membrane
Moves glucose, fructose, mannose
Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) donates a P to a phosphorelay system
P is transferred through a series of carrier proteins and deposited onto the sugar as it is brought into the cell
ABC transport systems
Involved in uptake of organic compounds (sugars, amino acids), inorganic nutrients (sulfate, phosphate), and trace metals
ABC transport systems display
High substrate specificity
ABC transport systems (gram-negative)
Employ periplasmic-binding proteins and ATP-driven transport proteins
ABC transport systems (gram positive)
Employ substrate-binding lipoproteins (anchored to external surface of cell membrane) and ATP driven transport proteins
ABC transports
Solute binding proteins, integral membrane proteins, ATP-hydrolyzing proteins
Solute binding protein
Periplasm
Binds specific substrate