L28B - Introduction To Microbiology And Bacterial Cells Flashcards
What are the 2 cell types?
- prokaryotes - bacteria, archea
- eukaryotes - fungi, protozoa, helminths, slime moulds, algae
What are facts about prokaryotes? (6)
- 1-5mcm
- haploid
- asexual reproductions
- unicellular
- no true nucleus
- cell wall
What are facts about eukaryotes? (5)
- > 10mcm
- diploid
- sexual reproduction
- unicellular/multicellular
- true nucleus
What are facts about viruses? (2)
- no cellular structure
- genetic material surrounded by protein
What are facts about prions? (2)
- no nucleic acid
- pieces of infectious protein
What are examples of prions? (3)
- bovine
- spongiform
- encephalopathy
What are facts about bacteria? (5)
- unicellular
- huge diversity (size, shape, habitat and metabolilsm)
- majority are harmless/even beneficial
- some cause disease (pathogenic)
- some are pharmaceutical contaminants
What is the bacterial classification? (3)
- morphology - cell shape, size, motility, spore forming
- metabolism - use of energy sources/nutrients
- molecular characteristics - protein, lipid structure, seq of gene encoding 16S RNA
What are the bacterial shapes in cocci? (4)
- coccus
- diplococcus
- chains
- clusters
What are the bacterial shapes in rods? (3)
- single rod
- paired rod
- chains
What are the different bacterial shapes? (3)
- cocci
- rods
- spirals
What is the classification of 70S bacterial ribosome?
- 50S subunit (23S rRNA, 5S rRNA + proteins)
- 30S subunit (16SRNA + proteins)
= 70S bacterial ribosome
What is important about 16S rRNA gene seq? (4)
- all bacteria have ribosomes = essential gene
- 16S gene highly conserved
- hypervariable regions (variation between species)
- organisms identified by their sequence
What are the parts in bacteria cell structure? (6)
- plasma (cytoplasmic) membrane
- cytoplasm
- the nucleoid
- plasmid
- prokaryotic cell wall
- ribosomes
What is the plasma (cytoplasmic) membrane like? (4)
- selective semi-permeable barrier
- mediates nutrient transport
- site of secretion and respiration
- site of environment response regulators
What is the cytoplasm? What does it contain? What does it not contain?
- between plasma membrane and nucleoid
- ribosomes (protein translation, 70S), inclusion bodies (contain important nutrients C, P, N, S)
- no mitochondria, no true nucleus
What is the double stranded DNA (dsDNA) like? (4)
- not enclosed by nuclear membrane
- usually single closed circular chromosome
- DNA supercoiled
- 1 copy of each gene
What are plasmids like? (3)
- extrachromosomal, small circular dsDNA
- replicate independently (multiple copies)
- encode auxiliary functions
What is the prokaryotic cell wall like (3)? What is it composed of?
- protects from the environment
- rigidity, strength
- unique to bacteria
- composed of peptidoglycan cross linked to form mesh
What is the peptidoglycan structure? (4)
- glycan backbone made of chain of sugar residues joined by glycosidic bonds
- every other sugar linked to short peptide
- peptides crosslink to another on adj glycan backbone
= strong mesh like structure formed
What does the mesh like structure of the peptidoglycan structure allow?
Molecules to pass in and out
What 2 types of bonds make it strong and rigid?
- glycosidic bonds
- peptide bonds
What are the 2 division of pathogenic baceria due to difference in PG structure?
- gram positive
- gram negative
What is gram positive bacteria like? (3)
- stain purple
- thick PG layer (20-80nm)< 60-80% cell wal
- X-linked to form thick mesh