Lecture 16 - prokaryote morphology Flashcards
Glycocalyx -
a layer of molecules that allows bacteria to stick to the environment and interact with the environment, the outer layer
Nucleoid -
Dna localized region in cytoplasm
Plasmid-
small DNA molecules with additional genes ( situation-specific )
Pilus -
structure formed in conjugation allowing DNA transfer between bacterial cells
Flagellum -
used for movement
Cell wall -
made of peptidoglycan, made of modified glucose (polysaccharide)
Outer Membrane -
lipid bilayer, additional boundary
Gram-positive bacteria
have a thick cell wall, form endospores, more sucseptible to anti biotics
Gram-negative bacteria
have a thin ( or no ) cell wall, more dangerous due to double cell membrane
4 phases of growth…
Lag
Logarithmic
Stationary
Death (not all species)
Lag Phase
Cells adjusting to a new environment
Logarithmic/Exponential
Cells divide a lot
Stationary
Competition increase, growth slows
-Prod. of endospores/spores
-Biofilm production
-Toxin production
Death (not all species)
Toxins build-up
Quorum Sensing
Method bacteria use to determine how full their environment is
-Cells release signals to detect each other
-Governs transition from individual to colony
Bacteria can coordinate the production of…
-Biofilm components
-Enzymes
-Toxins
-Based on changes in gene expression
Bacterial Colonies
Form during the stationary phase
-High density
-Group behaviors
Production of endospore
-Resistant structure
-Form inside cell
-Survive strong adverse conditions
-Uneven split
Biofilms
-Layer of polysaccharides, proteins, and other molecules
-Adhesion is created among cells to stick together
-At the mature stage, biofilms can host communities of different species
Examples of Biofilms
-Biofilms grow often in pipes, reducing the flow
-Grow on catheters and other medical devices
-Biofilms on teeth cause decay
-Can cause chronic infection
Endotoxins
-Not actively secreted
-General symptoms ( fever, lethargy, malaise, etc. )
-LPS ~ lipid portion is the toxin
-Typically less toxic than exotoxins
-Symptoms are less specific
-Large doses can cause hemorrhagic shock and tissue necrosis
Exotoxins
-Secreted
-Very specific targets