Prokaryotes and Endosymbiosis Flashcards
What are the two prokaryotic domains?
Bacteria and Archaea
How many cells does a prokaryote typically have?
One
What important structure of eukaryotic cells do prokaryotic cells lack?
A membrane bound nucleus
Characteristic of prokaryotic organelles
Not membrane bound
Characteristic of prokaryotic DNA
Have a single circular strand plus plasmids
Reproduction method of prokaryotes
Binary fission
What do all prokaryotes have that only some eukaryotes have?
Cell wall
What is a gram stain?
A dyeing system used to examine bacterial cell walls
What is a gram positive cell?
A cell that looks purple under a microscope
Characteristics of gram positive cells
Their cell wall has extensive peptidoglycan (sugars + amino acid) and they lack an outer membrane
What is a gram negative cell?
A cell that looks pink under a microscope
Characteristics of gram negative cells
Cell wall has a thin layer of peptidoglycan and has an outher phospholipid bilayer
What is peptidoglycan?
A polymer consisting of sugars and amino acids
What do antibiotics do?
Inhibit bacteria-specific metabolism, which prevents them from making a cell wall
How do antibiotics work?
Inhibit protein synthesis by binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit, which inhibits the proteins needed for the cell to survive
What are the functions of capsule-polysaccharide secretion?
Adhesion, secretion, and movement
What is the type of bacterial movement called and what does it do?
Taxis
Orients to the stimulus
How do prokaryotes move?
Flagella or gliding (secreting a sticky substance)
What type of reproduction do prokaryotes use?
Binary Fission
What are characteristics of binary fission?
Asexual, short generation times
What is an endospore?
A resistant stage that is dehydrated and dormant for centuries
What is conjugation?
When genetic information is transferred by direct cell-to-cell contact
What is transformation?
When bacteria or archaea naturally take up DNA from the environment that has been secreted or released by cell lysis
What is transduction?
When virsues pick up DNA from one prokaryotic cell and transfer it to another cell via injection
What is the benefit of conjugation?
It’s a way to transmit a plasmid with antibiotic genes between organisms
What is horizontal gene transfer?
When DNA is transferred between two different species
What are phototrophs?
Organisms that use light to excite electrons
How is ATP made in phototrophs?
Photophosphorylation
What are chemoorganotrophs?
Organisms that oxidize organic molecules with high potential energy, like carbohydrates and lipids, to gain their energy