Prokaryotes 1 Flashcards
what are prokaryotes?
single celled organisms
- very simple
- NO nucleus
- NO organelles
what are eukaryotes?
single or multi-cellular organisms
- YES nucleus
- YES organelles
what are the 3 cellular shapes found in prokaryotes?
- coccus (round)
- bacillus (rod-shaped)
- spirillum (helical)
what cell aspects do both prokaryotes and eukaryotes have?
- DNA
- ribosomes
- cytoplasm
- plasma membrane
why do prokaryotes reproduce so quickly?
- small genetic structure
- simple structure
- binary fission (asexual reproduction)
what are the three ways bacteria can transfer genes?
- transformation
- conjugation
- transduction
what is transformation?
when prokaryotes acquire genes from “naked” bacteria
what is conjugation?
when genetic material moves between bacteria
- it is a one way transfer
what is transduction?
genes moved between bacteria by phages (viruses)
what is horizontal gene transfer?
individuals passing genes between each other
- creates genetic variation
what is binary fission?
division of a bacterial cell to create 2 individuals, who are identical unless mutation occurs
- it is a cloning process
about how quickly does binary fission take place?
about every 20 minutes
what is an intron?
a non-coding part of a gene
what are histones?
proteins that are part of chromosomes
of the three domains which two are most closely related?
Archaea and Eukarya are more closely related
