Prokaryotes Flashcards
what are prokaryotes?
unicellular organisms that have no membrane-bound organelles
How do archaea improve human health?
They help your body..
-break down food
-fight bad germs
-keep your stomach healthy
Plasmid:
-small round piece of DNA inside some bacteria
-not part of their main DNA and can carry special traits (ex. resistance to antibiotics)
Flagellum:
-tail-like part that helps some bacteria and other cells swim around
peptidoglycan:
-Layer that surrounds bacterial cells, which gives them shape and protection
Glycolipid:
-a molecule made of sugar and fat
-helps cells talk to each other and protects them
Pili:
-tiny hair like structures on bacteria that help them stick to surfaces and share DNA
3 Domains in taxonomy:
-Archaea
-Bacteria
-Eucarya
3 common bacteria cell shapes:
-coccus
-bacillus
-spirillum
obligate aerobes means:
-they need oxygen in order to get energy from food
facultative aerobes means:
they can live with or without oxygen
obligate anaerobes means:
they cannot survive in the presence of oxygen
Pros about bacteria:
-recycle nutrients in the ecosystem
-make soy sauce, cheese, yogurt, and chocolate
-make insulin
Diseases caused by bacteria include:
-Cholera
-Leprosy
-Strep Throat
-Salmonella
-Tuberculosis
Archaea characteristics:
-Not known to cause disease
-live in extreme environments
-Cell walls are made of glycoproteins
-Circular chromosomes
methanogens key features:
-live in places with little oxygen (swamps, lakes, poop)
-some are in animals’ stomachs
-they make gas called methane and release it into the air
halophiles key feaures:
-love salt and can live in super salty places (ex. the dead sea, salty foods)
-most need oxygen and get energy from food
-some also use light for energy
extreme thermophiles key features:
-live in super hot places (hot springs, deep ocean vents)
-grow best in temps between 70 and 95 degrees celcius
psychrophiles key features:
-live in very cold places (arctic, antarctic oceans)
-grow best in temps between -10 and -20 degrees celcius
binary fission is:
-when 1 cell splits into 2 identical cells asexually
Transformation is:
-when cells take in DNA from their surroundings
Conjugation is:
-when 2 cells swap genetic info
Sporulation:
-when bacteria make special “sleeping” forms when conditions are bad
