Week 2 Flashcards
Morphology
Cell size and shape.
Why is shape useful?
useful for distinguishing different microbial
cells
Micrometer
(μm or micron) is one-millionth of a meter in length.
What sizes are prokaryotic ranging between
Ranging between 0.5 and 10 in μm length, but prokaryotic cells can vary widely in size.
Smallest and largest prokaryotic
The smallest prokaryotic cells are about 0.2 μm in diameter and the largest can be more than 600 μm long.
Size range of eukaryotic cells
Between 5 and 100 μm in length
Smallest and largest eukaryotic size
The smallest eukaryotic microorganism known is about 0.8 μmin diameter
* The largest eukaryotic cells can be many centimeters in length.
What is cell size influenced by
cell structure
how do eukaryotic cells transport things
actively transport mlcls and macromlcls within the cytoplasm
how do prokaryotic cells transport things
Rely on diffusion for transport through the cytoplasm and this
limits their size.
when does the rate of diffusion increase
as the square of the distance
traveled
Epulopiscium fishelsoni
found in the gut of the surgeonfish, can be more than 75μm wide and 600μm long.
How many genomes does Epulopiscium fishelsoni have
has more than 10,000 copies of its genome distributed throughout its cytoplasm, thereby preventing diffusional limitation between the genome and any region of the cytoplasm.
Thiomargarita
The sulfur-oxidizing chemolithotroph
* about 750 μm in diameter
What does the S/V ratio control
- How fast it grows (its growth rate)
- Shape
what does cellular growth rate depend on
on the rate at which cells
exchange nutrients and waste products with their environment.