chapter 26 Flashcards
Bacteria
one of three monophyletic domains of life, consisting of single-celled organisms with a single circular chromosome but no nucleus that divide by binary fission and differ from archaeon in many aspects of the cell and molecule biology
Archaea
one of the three domains of life, consisting of single-celled organisms with a single circular chromosome and no true nucleus that divide by binary fission and differ from bacteria in many aspects of their cell and molecular biology
plasmids
in bacteria, a small circular molecule of DNA carrying a small number of genes that can replicate independently of the bacterial genomic DNA
cell wall
a defining boundary in many organisms, external to the cell membrane, that helps maintain the shape and internal composition of the cell
peptidoglycan
a complex polymer of sugars and amino acids that make up the cell wall
horizontal gene transfer
the transfer of genetic material between organisms that are no parent and offspring
conjugation
the direct cell-to-cell transfer of DNA, usually in the form of a plasmid
transformation
the conversion of cells from one state to another, as from nonvirulent to virulent, when DNA released to the environment by cell breakdown is taken up by recipient cells
transduction
horizontal gene transfer by means of viruses
Proteobacteria
the most diverse bacterial group, defined largely by similarities in rRNA gene sequences
gram-positive bacteria
bacteria that retain, in their thick peptidoglycan walls, the diagnostic dye developed by Hans Christian Gram
Crenarchaeota
one of the three major divisions of Archaea
Euryarchaeota
one of the three major divisions of Archaea including acid-loving, heat-loving, methane-producing, and salt-loving microorganisms
Thaumarchaeota
one of the three major division of Archaea including chemotrophs, deriving energy from the oxidation of ammonia
hyperthermophiles
an organism that requires an environment with high temperatures
