Exam 3 Flashcards
Prokaryotic spherical shape
Coccus
Prokaryotic rod shape
bacillus
Prokaryotic spiral shape
spirillus
Prokaryotes in clusters
staphylo-
Prokaryotes in chains
strepto-
Prokaryotes in pairs
diplo-
How do cell walls of Bacteria differ from those of Archaea?
- Archaeal wall contain various polysaccharides and proteins
- Bacterial walls contain peptidoglycan
How do Gram-negative cells differ from Gram-positive cells?
Gram-positive typically has a thick peptidoglycan layer and is less virulent. Gram-negative typically has a thinner peptidoglycan layer, an outer membrane that is often toxic, and is typically more virulent.
How and why do Gram-positive and Gram-negative cells stain differently?
Peptidoglycan traps crystal violet, which masks the safranin dye in Gram-positive cells. In Gram-negative cells, crystal violet is easily washed away, revealing the red safranin dye.
How do capsules and endospores help protect bacteria cells in harsh environments? How do they differ in structure?
Capsules are a sticky polysaccharide or protein layer that provide protection and adhesion for the cell. Endospores form in response to stress. The cell packages a copy of its chromosomes, lyses, and allows the endospore to remain dormant.
- behavioral response of a cell or an organism to an external stimulus
taxis
Positive-toward stimulus, Negative-away from stimulus
How can prokaryotes evolve so quickly when the number of mutations per cell division is actually lower than what is seen in eukaryotes?
Their rapid reproduction and mutation allow populations of prokaryotes to evolve quikly
Cells pick up stray pieces of DNA from the environment and new fragments are often inserted into plasmids
Transformation
Viruses called bacteriophages transfer DNA from one cell to another.
Transduction
Prokaryotic cells can directly transfer DNA via a pillus that pulls the cells together and shares the F factor
Conjugation (read up on this process)
Why are transformation, transduction and conjugation all considered mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer?
They all result in genetic recombination as a result of moving genes from one species to another
Bacteria that are all Gram-negative, but are otherwise very diverse
Proteobacteria
Bacteria that require an animal host
Chlamydia
Bacteria that are spirilli and have internal filaments
Spirochetes
Bacteria that photosynthesis and may be ancestor to chloroplasts
Cyanobacteria
What traits are shared by Archaea that distinguish them from Bacteria?
Histones present in some Archaea
Methionine initiates protein synthesis
>1 RNA polymerase
Resistant to streptomycin and chloramphenicol
What traits have led biologists to place the Archaea as sister to the Domain Eukarya?
I don’t know histones?
Aside from being pathogens, what other roles do prokaryotes play on the planet?
- Decomposition
- Complete nutrient cycles by converting inorganic molecules into usable forms
- Symbiosis
How does the Serial Endosymbiosis Theory (SET) build upon the Endosymbiont Theory that was presented earlier this semester?
This theory suggests that some organisms experienced more than one episode of endosymbiosis to become the organisms they are today
What evidence is there to support SET?
Evidence of a vestigial nucleus called a nucleomorph
What three groups discussed in class belong to the Excavata supergroup?
Diplomonads, Parabasalids, and Euglenozoans
What three main groups discussed in class belong to the SAR clade?
Stramenopiles, Alveolites, and Rhizarians
What main group did we discuss in class that belongs to the Archaeplastida supergroup?
Green Algae
What two main groups discussed in class belong to the Unikonta supergroup?
Amoebozoans and Opisthokonts
What traits unite Diplomonads and Parabasalids?
Reduced mitochondria and anaerobic (typically)
What trait unites Stramenopiles?
Presence of two types of flagella, hairy and smooth
What trait unites the Alveolites?
Presence of small sacs just inside the plasma membrane (alveoli)
What trait unites the Amoebozoans?
Presence of pseudopodia that are lobed or tubular
What trait unites the Opisthokonts?
Flattened mitochondrial cristae and a shared amino acid sequence in elongation factor 1-alpha protein
What features of fungi have led early biologist to place them in the same taxon as plants?
multicellular eukaryotes cell walls produce spores can reproduce asexually grow from the ground
What features show that fungi are most definitely not very closely related to plants?
glycogen as a storage polysaccharide
chitin as a structural polymer
chemoheterotroph
zygotic meiosis