Microbial structure and function Flashcards
Does this describe eukaryotes or prokaryotes:
Cytoplasmic membrane contains sterols
Eukaryotes
Morphology term for bacterial cells that are in chains
Strepto-
Morphology term for bacterial cells that are in clusters
Staphylo-
The only gram negative diplococci
Neisseria gonorrhea
Mass of bacterial cells that arise from a single cell
Bacterial colony
Bacterial energy production (electron transport) occurs here
Plasma membrane
Two carbohydrate subunits that form the glycan chain of peptidoglycan
N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM)
Consists of alternating series of two carbohydrate subunits forming the glycan chain (N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM))
Peptidoglycan
Peptide portion of peptidoglycan always contains this in the third to last position
Di-amino acid
(either lysine or diaminopimelic acid)
Peptidoglycan always contain a di-amino acid (lysine or diaminopimelic acid) in this position
Third to last position of the peptide portion
Peptide portion of peptidoglycan almost always ends in this
D-ala-D-ala
Peptidoglycan cross-linking occurs by joining these
Penultimate D-ala of one peptide chain to the diamino acid of the other with deletion of the terminal D-ala
This amino acid is deleted during cross linking of peptidoglycan
Terminal D-ala
Rigid structure that surrounds the cytoplasmic membrane and determines the shape of the cell
Counters osmotic pressure
Bacterial cell wall
Bacterial component that counters osmotic pressure
Cell wall
Bacterial cell wall rigidity is due to this
Peptidoglycan
Peptidoglycan provides this to the bacterial cell wall
Rigidity
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Has an outer membrane
Gram negative
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Has a thick peptidoglycan layer
Gram positive
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Does NOT have an outer membrane
Gram positive
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Has a thin peptidoglycan layer
Gram negative
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Contain LPS
Gram negative
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
LPS absent
Gram positive
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Teichoic acid often present
Gram positive
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Teichoic acid absent
Gram negative
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Endotoxin absent
Gram positive
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Endotoxin present
Gram negative
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Sporulation by some bacteria
Gram positive
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
No sporulation
Gram negative
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Sensitive to lysozyme
Gram positive
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Resistant to lysozyme
Gram negative
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
More susceptible to penicillin
Gram positive
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
More resistant to penicillin
Gram negative
Is peptidoglycan permeable?
Yes, to numerous substances (e.g. antibiotics)
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Higher osmotic pressure
Gram positive
Does this describe gram negative or positive bacteria:
Lower osmotic pressure
Gram negative
Part of gram positive bacteria that gives negative charge, attracts positive charges adding strength to the wall
Wall- and lipo-teichoic acid
Part of gram positive bacteria that are major antigens and may trigger fever
Wall- and lipo-teichoic acid
Molecules in gram negative bacteria that allow diffusion of small molecule solutes (ions and some nutrients)
Porins
Part of lipopolysaccharide in gram negative bacteria that is an endotoxin
Release of small amounts in the blood can lead to fever, shock, and death during infections with gram negative bacteria
Lipid A
Lipid A is this
Part of the LPS in gram negative bacteria that is an endotoxin
Portion of LPS that is a major antigenic determinant and is frequently used to characterize bacteria
O antigen
O antigen is this
Portion of LPS that is a major antigenic determinant
Two components of LPS in gram negative bacteria
Lipid A (endotoxin) and O antigen
Part of gram negative bacteria that separates the inner and outer membranes and contains the peptidoglycan and proteins which process solutes in transit between the outside and inside of the cell
Periplasm
Major permeability barrier in gram negative bacteria
Outer membrane
Why do many antibiotics work on gram positive but not gram negative bacteria?
Because they can’t cross the outer membrane
Periplasm separates these
Inner and outer membranes of gram negative bacteria
Contains peptidoglycan and protein which process solutes in transit between the outside and inside of the cell
Periplasm contains this
Peptidoglycan and proteins that process solutes in transit between the outside and inside of the cell
4 steps of the gram stain
- Crystal violet (stains all purple)
- Gram iodine (fixes the dye)
- Decolorizer with alcohol or aceton (removes color from gram negative, gram positive remain purple)
- Counterstain with safranin red (gram - are still purple, gram + not red)
Steps of gram stain where all bacteria are purple
1st (crystal violet) and 2nd (gram iodine) steps
Common counterstain used in gram stain
Safranin red
Stains gram negative cells red
Type of bacteria that has a cell wall that is essentially gram positive with an outer membrane
Consists of thick peptidoglycan layer, arabinogalactan layer, high concentartion of mycolic acids (layer called Wax D)
Mycobacteria
Mycobacterial cell wall consists of these 3 things
Thick peptidoglycan layer (like gram positives)
Arabinogalactan (sugar) layer
High concentration of mycolic acids (complicated long chain hydrophobic layer also called Wax D)
Mycobacterial cell wall is essentially a gram ______ cell wall with a ___________
Essentially a gram positive cell wall with an outer membrane
Mycobacterial cells stain poorly by the gram stain despite their thick peptidoglycan layer due to this
Stains have difficulty penetrating the waxy outer layer
Type of stain:
Carbol Fuchsin primary stain steamed in to penetrate the membrane, stains the cells red
Acid alcohol leaches the stain out of all cells that are not mycobacteria
Methylene blue counterstains leached cells
Acid Fast stain
Primary stain in acid fast staining
Carbol Fuchsin
Stains the cells red
Acid fast stain is used to stain this type of bacteria
Mycobacteria
Mycobacteria are stained with this
Acid fast stain
Counterstain in an acid fast stain
Methylene blue
What color are mycobacterial cells in an acid fast stain?
Red
What color are non-mycobacterial cells in an acid fast stain?
Blue
Type of bacteria without a cell wall
Causes a variety of diseases including a generally mild pneumonia
Sterols in the membrane account for its strength
Mycoplasma
Compounds in the mycoplasma membrane that provide strength
Sterols
Do mycoplasma have a cell wall?
No
Antigenic portion of flagella
H antigen
Motility through sensing chemicals
Chemotaxis
Rotation that is responsible for the run and tumble movement of bacteria
Flagella
Bacterial component that:
Use propeller like movement for motility
Antigenic
Rotation is reversible, can be clockwise or counterclockwise
Chemotaxis
Responsible for run and tumble movement
Flagella
Chemical compound involved in chemotaxis that is a nutrient
Attractant
Chemical compound involved in chemotaxis that is toxic
Repellant