Week 1 Flashcards
What is an example of an archaea extremophile?
Thiomargarita namibiensis- in oceans but not harmful, it is almost a cm
What are some adaptations of Archaea ?
-proteins fold differently to avoid denaturation at high temperatures
- thermostable enzymes
What biotechnical applications use extremophiles ?
-polymerase chain reaction
-biofuels
-biomining
-carotenoid production
-detergents
What thermophile produces taq polymerase for pcr?
Thermus aquaticus
Do archaea have peptidoglycan in their cell walls?
No
What are the components of a prokaryotic cell?
-pili
-nucleoid
- ribosomes
-plasma membrane
-cell wall
-capsule
-flagella
What are the most common bacterial shapes?
-cocci ( spherical )
-bacilli ( rod shaped )
-spirochetes ( helical )
What is the function of bacterial pili?
-help bacteria stick to their substrate or to each other
How does a flagellum allow for movement?
Oxidises ATP by pumping H+ outside of the cell, generating a gradient, diffusion of teh H+ back into the cell wall, turns hook causing filament to turn and propel
How do pili help with antibiotic resistance?
- pili allow bacteria to stick together and conjugate , sharing genetic material
Is it gram - or + which has Teichoic acids? Which - or + is antibiotic resistance?
Positive
Gram negative - antibiotics cannot target the peptidoglycan wall
What are the bacteria ( + ) that are responsible for tetanus , botulism, pneumonia?
-clostridium tetani
-clostridium botulinum
- streptococcus pneumoniae
What - bacteria cause infectious blindness, cholera, plague ?
Chlamydia trachomatis
Vibrio cholerae
Yersinia pestis
What are the medical advantages of bacteria?
Large production of proteins
Drug screening tests and diagnostics
What are the agricultural advantages of bacteria ?
Introduction of a new gene in plant chromosome
Example - purple tomatoes have high anthocyanin
Environmental advantages of bacteria?
Bioremediation – removes pollutants, industrial by-products, oil spills
Industrial advantages of bacteria?
Lactic bacteria develop the flavour and colour of foodstuff
Improve the storage longevity of wines
What are autotrophs ? Heterotrophs ?
AUTOTROPHS: Producers – make their own food – plants, algae, bacteria
HETEROTROPHS: Consumers – consume producers/consumers – mammals
What are some examples of why we use microscopy in research ?
Cell culture
Colocalisation of proteins
Host-pathogen interactions
Abundance of proteins after stimulation
Proliferation or cell death markers
Frequency of cell types in a sample
What cells does the SARS Cov2 virus affect?
SARS cov 2 infection induces the dedifferentiation of multiciliated cells and impairs mucociliary clearance
Who was the father of microscopy ?
Robert Hooke
When was the electron microscope developed?
1930s
What is the resolution of electron and light microscopes?
0.2 micrometer limit of light
0.08 nm resolution limit of electrons
What are 2 key differences between Dissecting and Compound brightfield light microscopes ?
-dissecting : surface features , 70x magnification
-compound brightfield , in depth features , 400-1000x magnification
What are the stages of light microscope sample preparation?
-whole mounts
-tissue sections
-dehydration and clearing
-embedding
-sectioning
-staining