key terms Flashcards
LUCA
Eocyte tree
ether linkage
the linkage of two hydrocarbons by an oxygen atom (HC-O-CH) they are characteristic of the membrane lipids of archaea
ester linkage
a condensation (water-releasing) reaction in which the carboxyl group of a fatty acid reacts with he hydroxyl group of an alcohol. lipids, including most membrane lipids, are formed in this way
binary fission
reproduction of a prokaryote by division of cell into two genetically identical progeny cells
plasmid
a DNA molecule distinct from the chromosome; this is, an extrachromosomal element found in many bacteria, my replicate independently
lateral gene transfer
conjugation
a process by which DNA is passed from one cell to another through a conjugation tube, as in bacteria
transformation
a mechanism for transfer of genetic information in bacteria in which pure DNA from a bacterium of one genotype is taken in through the cell surface of a bacterium of a different genotype and incorporated into the chromosome of the recipient cell
transduction
anaerobes
microorganisms that can survive and reproduce without oxygen
aerotolerants
a prokaryote that does not require an oxygen atmosphere for survival, but can live while exposed to oxygen
microaerophiles
facultative
referring to a type of species interaction that is optional for at least one species involved in the interaction.
aerobes
a microorganism that requires oxygen for growth
gram positive
bacteria that appear blue to purple when stained using the gram-staining technique. those bacteria have an outer cell wall consisting of a thick layer of peptidoglycan
gram negtive
bacteria that appear red when stained using the gram-staining technique. these bacteria have an outer membrane outside the relatively thin peptidoglycan layer of the cell wall
photoautotrophs
an organism that obtains energy from light and carbon from carbon dioxide
photoheterotrops
an organism that obtains energy from light but must obtain its carbon from organic compounds
chemoautotrophs
an organism that obtains energy by oxidizing inorganic substances, using some of that energy to fix carbon
chemoheterotrophs
an organism that must obtain both carbon and energy from organic substances
extremophiles
archaea and bacteria that live and thrive under conditions that would kill most organisms (ex: extremely high temperature)
great plate count anomaly
virus
any of a group of ultramicroscopic particles constructed of nucleic acid and protein that require living cells in order to reproduce. evolved multiple times from different cellular species