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DMD 5245 > Microbial Genetics, Growth, and Metabolism (complete) > Flashcards

Microbial Genetics, Growth, and Metabolism (complete) Flashcards

1
Q

What is horizontal gene transfer

A

it is the passing of genetic information between two mature cells. (instead of vertical gene transfer, which is from parent to offspring)

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2
Q

Do prokaryotes have a nucleus

A

nope, they do have what is called a nucleoid. Which is just where the prokaryote has its genetic material, but it is not confined in a membrane

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3
Q

What are plasmids

A

small segments of DNA in prokaryotes that Replicate independently of the prokaryotic chromosome

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4
Q

Are plasmids essential for the life of the prokaryote

A

no they are not essential for normal growth, reproduction, and metabolism

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5
Q

although plasmids aren’t essential, how can they be beneficial to the prokaryote

A

they contain factors that help it survive

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6
Q

what types of factors can be found on vectors (4)

A
  1. Fertility Factors (genes for conjugation)
  2. Resistance Factors (against antimicrobials and metals)
  3. Bacteriocin Factors (toxins against similar organisms)
  4. Virulence factors (virulence factors against host)
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7
Q

Can plasmids integrate themselves into the bacterial chromosomes

A

yep

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8
Q

What are the three ways in which bacteria can transfer genetic information

A
  1. Transformation
  2. Transduction
  3. Conjugation
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9
Q

What is transformation (bacterial genetic information transfer)

A

when a bacterial cell picks up free DNA fragments and incorporates them into their chromosome

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10
Q

What is Transduction (bacterial genetic information transfer)

A

When an empty viral phage coat gets loaded with bacterial DNA, then injects it into another cell

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11
Q

What is conjugation

A

When a F+ (fertility plasmid) Cell uses a conjugation pilus to connect to another cell, then it transfers it DNA through the hollow conjugation pili

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12
Q

what was the finding from Griffiths experiment with rough and smooth Streptococcus Pneumoniae cells

A

that the new, non-virulent strain, would pick up and use the virulent DNA from the dead cells and use it to kill the mice . Proved transformation happens

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13
Q

What happens when an F+ cell successfully conjugates with an F- cell

A

the Fertility plasmid will be transferred to the F- cell, making it F+

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14
Q

What is an HFR cell

A

a cell with High Frequency of Recombination, which is a cell which has had the Fertility plasmid become integrated into its chromosome

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15
Q

What happens typically when an HFR conjugates with an F- cell

A

it only transfers a portion of the fertility plasmid, along with part of its chromosome. so the F- cell has more DNA, but not a complete Fertility plasmid so it is still F-, and is also F’

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16
Q

What are transposons

A

sequences in the prokaryotic chromosome that can break out, replicate, then reinsert themselves into different places on the chromosome.

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17
Q

can transposons jump to plasmids

A

yep

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18
Q

What is VRE

A

vancomycin resistant Enterococcus

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19
Q

what is MRSA

A

methicilin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

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20
Q

What is a silent mutation

A

a swapped out base in DNA that doesn’t lead to a change in the corresponding amino acid

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21
Q

What is a missense mutation

A

a swapped out base in DNA that causes a change in the corresponding amino acid

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22
Q

what is a nonsense mutation

A

a swapped out base in DNA that leads to an early stop codon

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23
Q

What is a frameshift mutation

A

either an insertion or deletion of a base pair in DNA, this causes all of the following amino acids to be altered due to the way it causes the reading frame to be shifted

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24
Q

What does UV light do to DNA

A

causes a thymine dimer, which is the creation of bonds between two thymines on the same strand of DNA, causing a bubble of sorts between the two strands

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25
Q

How is Recombinant DNA technology done

A

you get your gene of interest, and cut it out of its DNA, and place it into a plasmid, put that plasmid into bacteria, and have the bacteria produce the protein of choice

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26
Q

How does PCR work

A

you put primers in with the DNA you are running, heat it up so the double stranded DNA separates, then cool it down so the primer attaches to a single strand of DNA, and let the transcription machinery create a copy strand. then repeat over and over again.

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27
Q

What is the end goal of all microbial metabolism

A

to reproduce the organism

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28
Q

what is microbial growth

A

an increase in a population of microbes, rather than the microbes increasing in size

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29
Q

What are the necessary elements for microbes

A

carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen

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30
Q

What is an autotroph

A

an organism that has the ability to get its carbon from the CO2 in the air (green plants)

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31
Q

What is a heterotroph

A

an organism that gets it carbon from consuming carbs, proteins, fatty acids, and amino acids.

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32
Q

What are chemotrophs

A

organisms that get their energy from redox reactions with organic and inorganic material

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33
Q

What are phototrophs

A

organisms that get their energy from light

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34
Q

What are examples of photoautotrophs

A

plants, algae, cyanobacteria

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35
Q

what are examples of chemoautotrophs

A

only prokaryotes

hydrogen, sulfur, and nitrifying bacteria

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36
Q

What are some examples of photoheterotrophs

A

only prokaryotes

green and purple nonsulfur bacteria

37
Q

What are chemoheterotrophs

A

most animals, fungi, protozoa, many bacteria

38
Q

What are obligate aerobes

A

organisms that need oxygen to survive

39
Q

what are obligate anaerobes

A

organisms that are killed by oxygen

40
Q

How does oxygen kill obligate anaerobes

A

O2 isn’t toxic, but the Reactive Oxygen Species are, and obligate anaerobes don’t have the machinery to neutralize the Reactive oxygen species

41
Q

What are facultative aerobes

A

organisms that can live without oxygen, but do better with oxygen

42
Q

What are aerotolerant aerobes

A

organisms that don’t need oxygen, but aren’t affected by it at all (not for better or for worse)

43
Q

What are microaerophiles

A

organisms that require oxygen, but at lower partial pressures. can’t live without it, or with too much of it

44
Q

What would you expect to see with a strict aerobe in a thioglycollate medium

A

only growth in the upper oxygen rich area

45
Q

What would you expect to see with a strict anaerobe in a thioglycollate medium

A

only growth in the lower oxygen depleted area

46
Q

What would you expect to see with a facultative aerobe in a thioglycollate medium

A

growth throughout the medium, but more in the oxygen rich area

47
Q

What would you expect to see with a microaerophile in a thioglycollate medium

A

most of the growth, somewhere in the oxygen rich area, but not at the very top

48
Q

What would you expect to see with a aerotolerant anaerobe in a thioglycollate medium

A

equal growth throughout the medium

49
Q

is nitrogen required by microbes

A

yes, because it is needed in proteins and nucleotides

50
Q

are bacteria essential for life on earth when it comes to the nitrogen we need

A

yes, because it is bacteria that fixes the nitrogen gas to ammonia so that we get the nitrogen we can use.

51
Q

How does temperature affect growth of microbes

A

there is a Minimum temperature at which membranes gel and no growing can occur, from that point activity increases with increasing temperature until it reaches an Optimum activity point. with any more temperature you begin to destroy the organism.

52
Q

What do you call an organism that grows best in cold temperatures

A

psychrophile

53
Q

what do you call an organism that grows best in moderate temperatures

54
Q

what do you call an organism that grows best in hot temperatures

A

thermophiles

55
Q

what do you call an organism that grows in extremely hot temperatures

A

hyperthermophiles

56
Q

What pH do most bacteria and protozoa prefer

A 
neutral pH (6.5 to 7.5)
neutrophiles
57
Q

what do you call bacteria that prefer a low pH level

A

acidophiles

58
Q

what do you call bacteria that prefer a high pH level

A

alkalinophiles

59
Q

do most bacteria need water

A

yes, most die in the absence of water (endospores and cysts are the exception)

60
Q

What happens to cells (without walls) when placed in a hypotonic solution

A

water runs into them, and causes them to lyse

61
Q

what happens to cells placed in a hypertonic solution

A

the cells will shrivel up

62
Q

what are halophiles

A

organisms that can grow in hypertonic solutions (salty)

63
Q

what are obligate halophiles

A

organisms that grow in up to 30% salt

64
Q

what are facultative halophiles

A

organisms that can tolerate high salt concentrations

65
Q

What are oganisms that live under extreme pressure called

A

barophiles

66
Q

what do you call organisms that live in high CO2 concentrations

A

Capnophiles

67
Q

What is an anatagonistic relationship (parasitism)

A

one organisms benefits, the other is harmed

68
Q

what is a synergistic relationship (mutualism)

A

both organisms benefit

69
Q

what is a symbiotic relationship

A

the organisms are interdependent

70
Q

What is commensalism

A

one organism benefits, the other is indifferent

71
Q

What is a biofilm

A

complex relationships among numerous different organisms

72
Q

What is the CFU when creating cultures of cells

A

the CFU is the colony forming unit, or the progenitor (parent) of the entire colony

73
Q

What are streak plates and pour plates used for?

A

isolating colonies

74
Q

How does blood agar work as a differential medium

A

different specimen perform different types of hemolysis on the blood agar, which results in different looking cultures

75
Q

what is a-hemolysis

A

partial RBC destruction

76
Q

what is b-hemolysis

A

complete RBC destruction

77
Q

what is y-hemolysis

A

no RBC destruction

78
Q

What are the three ways to preserve cultures

A

Refrigeration
deep-freezing
lyophilization

79
Q

is bacterial growth log linear

80
Q

What are the four phases of microbial growth

A
  1. Lag phase (not much growth)
  2. Log phase (exponential growth)
  3. stationary phase (no growth, but at max growth level)
  4. Death Phase (decline)
81
Q

What is the equation for bacterial growth

A 
N(t) = N(o) (2^n)
n=t/g
n= number of replications
t = time
g = generational time
82
Q

How do bacterial multiply

A

binary fission

83
Q

What are the four direct methods for measuring microbial growth

A
  1. Viable plate counts
  2. membrane filtration
  3. microscopic counts
  4. electronic counters
84
Q

how is a viable plate count performed

A

you make plates with increasing diluted (10x less concentrated each step) samples of the culture, then once you can get to a countable number of colonies you can estimate how many colonies were in the original concentration

85
Q

how is microscopic counting performed

A

you spread out colonies on a grid, then choose one specific square, magnify it and count the colonies. Then you can multiply the number of colonies in that square by the total number of squares

86
Q

What are the three methods for indirect measuring of microbial growth

A

metabolic activity
dry weight
turbidity

87
Q

What is turbidity and how does it measure microbial growth

A

you shoot light through a control tube without growth in it and measure the light that gets through, then you do the same to a tube with growth in it and see how much light has been reflected.

88
Q

how does turbidity correlate with concentration

A

the relationship is log linear, the higher the concentration the lower the transmittance

DMD 5245 (15 decks)

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