Prokaryotes Flashcards
Which cells have a plasma membrane?
All cells, Prokaryote and Eukaryote
What types of substances does the plasma membrane allow to enter and exit?
It allows low molecular weight (small sized) substances (such as water) to get in and out depending on their concentration within the cell and outside of it.
What are the functions of the plasma membrane?
- It holds the organelles inside of the cell
- Allows some substances to come and go (oxygen and water molecules), but does not allow other things to get inside or leave.
- It regulates the flow of nutrients in the cell.
How do substances enter and exit the plasma membrane by using a concentration gradient?
Diffusion
Does it require energy?
No.
What would happen if a substance ruptured the plasma membrane?
Any substance that can rupture the plasma membrane will kill the whole organism.
What types of substances would rupture the plasma membrane?
Alcohol, soaps, and other detergents easily rupture the plasma membrane.
Is the plasma membrane impermeable, semipermeable, or omnipermeable?
The plasma membrane is semipermeable.
What type of solution is salty water?
Hypertonic solution
Will the concentration of salt outside the cell be higher or lower than the concentration inside the cell?
Hypertonic solution will have higher concentration of salt outside the cell.
What type of solution is pure water?
Hypotonic solution
Will the concentration of salt outside the cell be higher or lower than the concentration inside the cell?
Hypotonic solution will have higher concentration of salt inside the cell.
Which way will water diffuse if a cell is placed in a hypotonic solution?
Water will diffuse into the cell and make it pop.
Which way will water diffuse if a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution?
Water will diffuse out of the cell and make it shrink.
What type of solution has the same amount of salt inside the cell and outside the cell?
Isotonic solution
What is osmosis?
Movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of lower water concentration.
What is osmotic pressure?
The pressure needed to stop the movement of water across the membrane.
What is the phospholipid bilayer in a plasma membrane?
Two layers of a compound consisting of phosphates and lipids (fats). The outer and inner sides of the membrane are water soluble, and the area between is not water soluble.
What gives the plasma membrane semipermeability, which allows it to take in certain substances and keep out other substances?
The phospholipid bilayer.
What are lipoproteins and what is their purpose in the cell membrane?
Lipoproteins are made up of fat and proteins and are found in the plasma cell membrane. They are special proteins that can transport larger molecules like sugars into the cell.
When lipoproteins transport molecules, what kind of transport is this called?
Active transport because it requires some energy in the form of ATP.
Gram negative organisms have what type of cell membrane?
They have an inner and outer plasma membrane separated by a cell wall. The cell wall is thin, and made of peptidoglycan.
Gram positive organisms have what type of cell membrane?
They have only one plasma membrane inside of its cell wall. The cell wall is thick, and made of peptidoglycan.
In a gram-negative organism what does the outer plasma membrane contain? And what is it made of?
Lipopolysachharide (LPS) which is made of lipids (fats) and many sugars (polysachharides).
What are O antigens?
The string portion of LPS in Gram negative bacteria.
What are K antigens?
The capsule of bacteria that have capsules.
What are H Antigens?
The flagella of bacteria that have flagella.
What is the endotoxin in the LPS called?
Lipid A.
What has a more complex cell wall bacteria or humans?
More complex in Prokaryotes (bacteria) than in Eukaryotes (humans).
What keeps an organism from exploding from osmotic shock?
The rigidity of the cell wall keeps the organism from exploding from osmotic shock. Humans do not have cell walls.
What can only be found in bacteria?
Peptidoglycan is only found in bacteria.
What is the only bacterium that does not have a normal cell wall?
Mycoplasma (causes TB or leprosy, depending on the species) is the only bacteria without a normal cell wall (its cell wall is 60% waxy).
Is Mycoplasma gram negative or positive?
It is neither Gram-positive nor Gram-negative. It is called “Acid-fast” because it takes an acidic stain to color it.
What does a peptidoglycan consist of and what are they linked by?
Consists of a chain of two types of sugars (NAM and NAG) linked by proteins.
How are the sugars arranged?
The sugars are arranged in this order: NAG-NAM-NAG.
What is peptidoglycan also known as?
Peptidoglycan is also known as the murein layer.
What is a bacterial cell wall made up of?
Made up of polymer of:
N-acetylglucosamine (NAG)
N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM)
What are the two polymers connected by?
NAM is connected to NAG via a beta 1,4 linkage.
What breaks down the beta 1, 4 linkage?
Lysozyme enzymes break the beta 1,4 linkage.
How does penicillin kill bacteria?
Prevents cell wall synthesis.
Prevents amino acid linkage (peptide bond formation).
What results in Gram positive organisms when penicillin is taken?
Protoplast (cell wall dissolves away)
What results in Gram negative organisms when penicillin is taken?
Partially lose cell wall, becomes a spheroplast (round cell).