Monera Flashcards

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1
Q

General characteristics of Monera

A
  • single-celled
  • Prokaryotic
  • Microscopic
  • Carry out respiration
  • Binary fission
  • Have ribosomes
  • Role: Decomposition of dead organisms
  • Found everywhere
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2
Q

Name the shapes of Monera

A
  1. Coccus/Round
    - eg: Streptococcus- causes septic throat
  2. Rods
    - eg: Coli- in the colon
  3. Spirals
    - eg: Cholera
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3
Q

What are the benefits of bacteria

A
  • Production of yoghurt and cheese
  • Manufacturing antibiotics
  • Insulin production
  • Nutrient recycling
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4
Q

Harmful effects of bacteria

A
  • Can cause disease (Animal- food poisoning Plant- rot)
  • Food spoilage (Milk turns sour)
  • Tooth decay (Enamel)
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5
Q

Bacterial cell structure

A
Always present:
- Cell wall
- Cell membrane
- Cytoplasm 
- Ribosome
- Storage granule 
- Loop of DNA
Sometimes present:
- Capsule 
- Flagella
- Plasmid
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6
Q

Role of Cell wall in Bacteria

A
  • prevents cell from bursting
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7
Q

Role of Cell membrane in Bacteria

A
  • Selectively permeable
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8
Q

Role of Cytoplasm in Bacteria

A
  • Suspends ribosomes and storage granules
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9
Q

Role of Plasmid in Bacteria

A
  • Cloning vector

- Bacterial resistance

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10
Q

Role of capsule

A
  • Protects from drying out
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11
Q

Role of Flagellum

A
  • Used for movement in search of food
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12
Q

How does Monera carry out sexual reproduction?

A

Binary fission

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13
Q

Briefly explain how binary fission occurs

A
  • DNA replicates
  • Cell elongates
  • DNA copies move to opposite sides of the cell
  • Ingrowth of membrane occurs
  • Cytoplasm divides to form two daughter cells
  • Bacteria produce themselves every 20 minutes
  • leads to create clones (identical daughter cells)
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14
Q

Important consequences of bacterial reproduction

A
  • Wounds become heavily infected very quickly
  • Appear in large numbers
  • Can transfer plasmids and antibiotic resistance
  • Efficient returns of product in industry
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15
Q

Define Endospore

A
  • unicellular resistant structure produced during harsh conditions
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16
Q

Steps in endospore formation

A
  • DNA replicates
  • Cytoplasm shrinks
  • DNA is surrounded by a thick cell wall
  • Outer cell breaks down
  • Endospores remain dominant for decades
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17
Q

When conditions are suitable again

A
  • Endospore absorbs water
  • Spore wall softens and ruptures
  • A new bacterial cell emerges, enlarges and reproduces by binary fission
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18
Q

What is meant by autotrophic?

A

Make their own food

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19
Q

Define Photosynthetic and give an example

A

Use light to make food

eg: Purple sulphur bacteria

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20
Q

Define Chemosynthetic

A

Use energy from chemical reactions

eg: Nitrifying bacteria

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21
Q

What is meant by Heterotrophic?

A

Take in food from other organisms

22
Q

Define saprophytic and give an example

A

feed on dead organic matter

eg: bacteria of decay

23
Q

Define parasitic and give an example

A

Feed on living host causing it harm

eg: streptococcus

24
Q

Define Pathogen

A

Disease-causing agent

25
Q

Define Antibiotic

A

Chemicals produced by micro-organisms to kill other micro-organisms

26
Q

Role of antibiotics

A

Treat bacterial or fungal infections

27
Q

What is meant by antibiotic resistance?

A

Bacterial or fungi are not killed by the antibiotic

28
Q

How does antibiotic resistance develop

A

Misuse of antibiotics, using antibiotics to treat viral infections

29
Q

How does resistance develop

A
  • all bacteria are killed (good and bad)
  • bacteria will have no competition
  • Can increase in numbers rapidly
  • Antibiotics will not affect it
  • MRSA is a bacterial strain resistant to most antibiotics and is more common in hospitals
30
Q

Abuse of antibiotics in medicine

A
  • Using antibiotics to treat viral infections
  • Patients failing to complete their full course of antibiotics
  • Using a broad-spectrum antibiotic that inhibits many bacteria
31
Q

Doctors are reluctant to prescribe antibiotics to patients with common cold-like symptoms. Suggest a biological reason for this statement.

A
  • Common cold can be viral

- Antibiotics have no effect on viruses

32
Q

Factors affecting growth

A
  1. Temperature
  2. Oxygen concentration (Anaerobic facultative can respire without oxygen) (Obligate anaerobes respire in absence of oxygen)
  3. pH
  4. External solute concentration
  5. Pressure
33
Q

List the stages of the bacterial growth curve

A
  1. Lag
  2. Log
  3. Stationary
  4. Death/Decline
  5. Survival
34
Q

Briefly describe the phases of the bacterial growth curve

A
  1. Lag phase: Bacteria numbers are low-Adapting to their new environment
  2. Log phase: Bacteria numbers increase rapidly- plenty of food, oxygen, moisture
  3. Stationary phase: Number remains high and constant- Reproduction rate=death rate
  4. Decline phase: Bacteria decrease in numbers (death rate is greater than reproduction rate)
  5. Survival phase: Bacteria survive as endospores
35
Q

Define Bioprocessing

A
  • Use of micro-organisms to produce food and other products

- Micro-organisms grow in a liquid medium in a bioreactor

36
Q

Give a brief account of batch processing and give an example

A

Example: Antibiotics
Describe: Fixed amount of sterile nutrients are added to –the bioreactor at the start
-Go through all stages of growth
-Bioreactor is emptied and the product extracted at the end

37
Q

Give advantages and disadvantages of batch processing

A

Advantages:
- Easier process to control
- Useful when products may be needed only in small amounts
- Some micro-organisms grow well for a short period of time
Disadvantages:
- Product not available at short notice
- Sterilising the bioreactor takes a lot of time

38
Q

What is meant by Continuous flow processing? Briefly describe and give an example

A

Definition: Nutrients are continuously added to the bioreactor
Example: Single-celled protein
- Microorganism growth maintained at the upper log phase
- Products are continuously removed
-

39
Q

Give advantages and disadvantages of continuous flow food processing

A

Advantage: Quicker process
Disadvantage: Requires close monitoring

40
Q

Give one example of a beneficial effect of bacteria, other than the production of antibiotics and one example of a harmful effect of bacteria

A

Beneficial effect: Nutrient recycling

Harmful effect: Cause disease

41
Q

Name a method of asexual reproduction

A

Binary fission

42
Q

Describe the process of asexual reproduction

A
  • DNA replicates
  • Cell elongates
  • DNA copies and moves to opposite sides
  • Ingrowth of membrane
  • Cytoplasm divides to form two identical daughter cells
43
Q

How do certain bacteria survive when environmental conditions become unfavourable?

A

Formation of endospore

44
Q

Name 3 general shapes of bacterial cells

A

Rod, Cocci, Spiral

45
Q

What is the difference between asepsis and sterility

A

Asepsis: Free of pathogens
Sterility: Free of micro-organisms

46
Q

Give one way in which bacteria cope with unfavourable environments

A

Endospores

47
Q

Distinguish between Batch processing and Continous flow

A

Batch processing: a fixed amount of nutritions added at the beginning
Continuous flow: Nutrients continuously fed into the bioreactor

48
Q

Explain what is happening at the stationary phase

A

Stationary phase: Bacteria Number remains high and constant

  • Reproduction rate=death rate
  • Limited space and food
49
Q

Other than being prokaryotic state two ways in which a typical bacterial cell differs from a typical human cell

A
  • Cell wall

- Size

50
Q

Misuse of antibiotics

A
  • survival of resistant strains
51
Q

Name two forms of heterotrophic nutrition

A
  1. Parasitic

2. Saprophytic