Lecture 3 Flashcards
Are prokaryotes considered to bbe evolved organisms?
they are highly evolved organisms
Why do we study prokaryotes?
- earliest form of life
- diverse and highly specialized
- abundant
- relatively simple organisms for various biological studies
- essential to biosphere functioning
- industrial potential
what is prokaryotes importance to humans?
- digestion
- diseases including superbugs (antibiotic resistance)
- environment
What are prokaryotes importance to humans?
- digestion
- diseases including superbugs (antiobiotic resistance)
- environment
What are the different shapes of prokaryotes?
- spherical
- rod shaped
- spiral
What are the biological characteristics of prokaryotes?
- unicellular and small (most)
- rigid cell wall
- DNA
- one double strand of DNA
- circular chromosome
- plasmids
- lacks nucleus
- generally lack other membrane bound organelles (except photosynthesizers)
- lack cytoskeleton
- smaller ribosomes than eukaryotes
- no sexual reproduction
- simple flagella common
What are biological implications of being microscopically small?
- rapid reproduction
- extensive easy dispersal
- intimate contact with surroundings implies high sensitivety to environment (and changes in it)
- high rate of living
- small size means water is extremely viscous
What does it mean that prokaryotes have a high rate of living?
small sized organisms have relatively high metabolic rates
What are the biological implications of being microscopically small?
- Rapid Reproduction: Microscopic organisms can reproduce quickly, facilitating population growth.
- Extensive Easy Dispersal: Being small allows easy dispersal through various environments.
- High Sensitivity to Environment: Microorganisms have intimate contact with surroundings, making them highly sensitive to environmental changes.
What does the “Everything is everywhere, but the environment selects” principle suggest?
The Baas-Becking hypothesis implies that microbes are ubiquitously distributed, but their survival and prevalence are determined by the specific environmental conditions.
How do microbes exhibit opportunism and dormancy in their life cycles?
Microbes can switch between opportunistic behavior, taking advantage of favorable conditions, and dormancy, a state of reduced activity during unfavorable conditions.
How is the ecology of prokaryotes closely linked to water availability?
- Direct Metabolic Demand: Water is essential for the metabolic processes of prokaryotes.
- Nutrient Supply: Water supplies nutrients necessary for microbial growth.
- Waste Removal: Water aids in the removal of metabolic wastes from prokaryotic cells.
Why do small-sized organisms exhibit a high ‘rate of living’?
Small-sized organisms have relatively high metabolic rates, leading to a faster pace of life processes.
What is the significance of small size in relation to water viscosity for microorganisms?
Passive Movement: Small size means most movement is passive in water flow.
Swimming Ability: Some microorganisms can swim, but typically only short distances (a few mm) due to the high viscosity of water.
What does high ‘rate of living’ mean?
High ‘rate of living’ refers to the metabolic activity rate of an organism. It is influenced by the surface area to volume ratio, where organisms with smaller ratios tend to have higher metabolic rates, while those with larger ratios exhibit slower metabolic rates.