Lectures 1-5 Flashcards
Describe a typical bacterial plasma membrane
Selectively permeable, contains cytoplasm, location of metabolic processes, detects environmental changes
What is the function of ribosomes in bacterial cells?
Protein synthesis
What is the function of the nucleoid in a bacterial cell?
Not a distinct structure, simply the location of genetic material within the cell
What is the periplasmic space and what type of bacterial cell has a larger one?
Contains hydrolytic enzymes and binding proteins for nutrient processing and uptake; gram negative cells have a larger periplasmic space because they have a thinner layer of peptidoglycan
What part of the bacterial cell protects from osmotic stress?
The cell wall, which also functions to maintain cell shape
Since bacterial cells replicate by binary fission, what are some possible sources of genetic variation?
- Mutation
- Horizontal gene transfer through conjugation
- Transduction
- Transformation
What are fimbriae?
Hair-like structures on bacterial cells that function in attachment to surfaces
How do flagella operate in bacterial cells?
They spin like a propellor (clockwise or counterclockwise) while anchored in the bacterial cell membrane
What color do gram positive cells stain?
Purple
What color do gram negative cells stain?
Pink or red
What is the substance that makes up bacterial cell walls?
Peptidoglycan
Which type of bacterial cell has a thicker layer of peptidoglycan and techoic acids in its cell wall?
Gram positive
Which type of bacterial cell has a thinner peptidoglycan cell wall and includes an outer membrane?
Gram negative
Which type of bacterial cell tends to be more resistant to antibiotics?
Gram negative
What are the functions of techoic acids in gram-positive cell walls?
- Maintain cell envelope
- Protect from environmental substances
- May bind to host cells
- techoic acids are negatively charged
- lipotechoic acid binds to membrane, wall techoic acid links stacks of NAGs and NAMs
What is the outer membrane of gram-negative cells composed of?
Lipids, lipoproteins, and LPS (which makes it more resistant to antibiotics)
What are some aspects of peptidoglycan structure?
- 2 alternating sugars: NAG and NAM
- Alternating D and L amino acids
- mesh-like polymer of identical subunits forming long strands
- chains joined by cross-links (covalent bonds for strength)
- strands have helical shape
What are the two sugar carriers involved in peptidoglycan synthesis?
UDP and bactoprenol pyrophosphate
What are plasmids and what purpose do they serve?
Extrachromosomal DNA that exist independent from chromosome and contain some nonessential genes; confer selective advantage to host (drug resistance?)
Where are NAM and NAG synthesized?
Cytoplasm
Protoplasts and Spheroplasts are osmotically sensitive because they lack a cell wall, what will happen if they are placed in an isotonic solution? A hypotonic solution?
In an isotonic solution they will survive, but in hypotonic solution they will lyse open
What are acid-fast cells? Describe their cell wall.
Resist decolorization with acid alcohol, so they have poor stain absorption followed by high stain retention.
Their cell wall is waxy which prevents most water soluble stains from crossing it, and causes cells to cluster together (sticky)
What is the function of the rough ER in a eukaryotic cell?
Transport of materials
What is the function of the smooth ER in eukaryotic cells?
Storage of calcium and lipids, site of lipid synthesis