Elemental Composition Flashcards
How can you determine growth?
Optical density
CFUs
Microscopy (counting)
When growth phase do you study and why?
Exponential because the cells exhibit similar behavior
The dry weight is what percentage of the wet weight of a prokaryotic cell?
~70%
The dry weight is what percentage of the wet weight of a eukaryotic cell?
~90%
If you know the size of a microorganism, how can you estimate the wet weight of a single cell without lab work?
Similarly sized prokaryotic/eukaryotic cells weight the same to other prokaryotic/eukaryotic cells
How does a chemist determine elemental composition?
Combustion of dried biomass and elemental chemical analysis
What are the 4 main elements?
CHON
What are the other 5 essential elements?
S, P, Mg, Fe, Zn
Cofactors
Non-proteinous part of a protein required for its function. They may have catalytic and or structural functions. May be organic or inorganic.
What’s the relative ratio of CHON for a typical dry bacterial cell?
[C4 H7 O2 N0.8]
A typical cell has what percentage of carbon and nitrogen?
~50% carbon
~10-15% nitrogen
How does a microbiologist determine elemental composition?
By looking at the nutritional requirements
Physiology studies should always be conducted with which media type?
Defined media
Trace elements
Metals and other ions that are needed at low concentrations. They are usually cofactors for proteins
Vitamins
Organic molecules that are needed at low concentrations. Typically precursors of organic cofactors.
