The Prokaryotes Flashcards
LG 9
prokaryotes
unicellular orgs lacking nucleus
Bacteria & Archaea
common ancestor of all species today
“before kernel” - nucleus
eukaryotes
org w/ nucleus, membrane-bound organelles & cytoskeleton
unicellular or multicellular
“true kernel” - nucleus
Archaea
1 of 3 taxonomic domains of life
unicellular prokaryotes
cell walls made of polysaccharides, plasma membrane, ribosomes & RNA polymerase
extremophiles
bacterium or archaen that thrive in “extreme” environments
- high salt, high temp, low temp, low pressure
pathogenic
any entity capable of causing disease
“disease producing”
(ie.) virus, microb, prion
germ theory of disease
infectious diseases = caused by bacteria, viruses & other microorgs
- pattern: certain diseases are infectious
- process: transmission & growth of bacteria/virus
toxin
poison produced by living org
virulence
ability to cause disease
antibiotics
any substance that can kill/stop growth of bacteria
- produced naturally by soil-dwelling bacteria/fungi
biofilms
complex bacterium enmeshed in polysaccharide-rich, extracellular matrix that allows them to attach to a surface
bioremediation
use living orgs (bacteria/archaea) to degrade environmental problems
phototroph
org that produces ATP through photosynthesis
“light feeders”
(ie) plants, algae, some bacteria
chemoorganotroph
org that produces ATP by oxidizing organic molecules w/ high potential energy
- aka organotroph
- cellular respiration or fermentation
- sugar = e- donor
chemolithotrophs
org (bacteria/archaea) that produces ATP by oxidixing inorganice molecules w/ high potential energy
- aka lithotroph
- “rock feeders”
autotroph
org that can synthesize reduced organic compounds of simple inorganic sources
- aka primary producers
- “self-feeders”
(ie) most plants & some bacteria/archaea
heterotroph
org that cannot synthesize reduced organic compounds of simple inorganic sources
- must obtain from other orgs
- aka consumer
- “other feeders”
(ie) some bacteria/archaea & all fungi, animals
cellular respiration
common pathway for ATP production
- transfer e- compounds w/ HP energy through e- transport chain to an e- acceptor (ie. oxygen)
ATP
molecule w/ adenine base, sugar & 3 PO4 groups
- can be hydrolyzed to release energy
- adenosine triphosphate
- used by cells to store/transfer energy
fermentation
any metabolic pathways that regenerate oxidizing agents by transferring e- to a final e- aceptor in absence of an e- transport chain
- process cont. w/out transport chain
photosynthesis
(biological process) convert light energy into chemical energy
- stored in glucose & other organic compounds
- occurs in most plants, algae & some bacteria
oxygenic (photosynthesis)
any process/rxn that produces oxygen
- photosynthesis in plants, algae & cyanobacteria (involves photosynthesis II)
- use H20 as e- source for photosynthesis
- “oxygen producing”
anoxygenic (photosynthesis)
any process/rxn that does not produce oxygen
- photosynthesis in purple sulfur & purple nonsulfur bacteria
- “no oxygen producing”
- produce sulfur or ferric ion
methanotroph
org (bacteria/archaea) that uses methan as its primary e- donor & source of carbon
- “methane eaters”
cyanobacteria
a lineage of photosynthetic bacteria (blue-green algae)
- 1st life forms to carry out oxygenic photosynthesis
aerobic respiration
any metabolic process, cell, or org that uses oxygen as e- acceptor
anaerobic respiration
any metabolic process, cell, or org that uses an e- acceptor other than oxygen
- include fermentation
