Exam 1: Lecture 4 Flashcards
Anaerobic Respiration (Fermentation)
- Partial breakdown of organics that occurs without O2
2. Yields 2 ATP
Aerobic Respiration
- Complete breakdown of organics with O2
2. Yields 36 - 38 ATP
Comparison of Aerobic Respiration & Fermentation
Both use Glycolysis (Glucose -> pyruvate)
Have different final e- acceptors (O2 vs pyruvate/acetaldehyde)
36/38 ATP vs 2 ATP
Obligate aerobes
Require an ample oxygen source to perform respiration
Microaerophilic/microaerobic
Requires small amounts of oxygen
Capnophilic
Microbes require low oxygen and high carbon dioxide conc
Facultative Anaerobes
Organisms that perform anaerobic glycolysis in the absence of oxygen but can perform aerobic respiration in the presence of oxygen
Obligate anaerobes
Die in presence of oxygen because they lack chemistry to produce organic compounds via reduction of oxygen
3 Main mechanisms bacteria use to adapt to changing environments
Mutation
Gene Transfer
Regulation of gene expression
Types of Mutations in bacteria
Base substitutions
Removal or addition of nucleotides
Transposable elements
Types of Gene Transfer in bacteria
Transformation
Transduction
Conjugation
Base substitutions
Most common
occurs when one base pair is changed (point mutations)
Silent mutation
single base sub in 3rd base nucleotide of codon.
results in NO change in amino acid, 1st 2 letters of genetic code are most critical
Missense mutation
single base sub in 1st/2nd base position
results in changed amino acid
Nonsense mutation
single base sub that yield stop codon
3 nonsense codons in genetic code
Frameshift mutation
genetic mutation caused by insertions or deletions of a number of nucleotides in DNA sequence that is not divisible by 3
Transposable Elements
Special segments of DNA that move spontaneously from 1 gene to a different gene
Transposons may disrupt the integrity of the gene and render its protein product nonfunctional
Gene Transfer
Widespread among bacterial cells
intercellular transfer = genetic material passes from donor cell to recipient cell
Leads to genetic diversity
Transformation
Recipient cell directly takes up naked DNA released from the donor cell altering its genotype
It can occur in the medium
Natural transformation can also occur
Frederick Griffith (Griffiths Experiment) showed 1st demonstration of transformation
Transduction
process by which DNA is transferred from one bacterium to another by a virus
Conjugation
suitable donor cell (male) comes near a recipient cell (female), established direct cell to cell contact and transfers genetic material
Plasmids most frequently transferred by conjugation
Sex pilus responsible or attachment of donor (F*) to recipient (F)
Transfer of antibiotic resistance can occur by conjugation
Operon info
Group of genes that are transcribed at the same time
usually control important biochemical process
Only found in prokaryotes
Genes are turned on/off via operons
Operon Structure
Promoter + operator + structural genes
Repressor binds to operation = transcription prevented
Lac operon
consists of 3 genes each involved in processing the sugar = lactose
One of them is the gene for enzyme B-galactosidase (lactase)
This enzyme hydrolyses lactose into glucose and galactose