Prokaryotes Flashcards
(27 cards)
What are the essential characteristics of a viable prokaryotic cell?
The essential characteristics of a viable prokaryotic cell include ribosomes, cytosol, DNA, and a plasma membrane.
How do prokaryotes compare to eukaryotes in terms of traits?
Prokaryotes have no membrane-bound organelles, no energy-producing organelles, and no sex. They divide via binary fission, unlike eukaryotes that have membrane-bound organelles and divide via mitosis.
What are the basic nutrients needed for cell growth and division?
Cells require nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and various minerals to grow and divide.
What are some similarities between prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
Both prokaryotes and eukaryotes contain ribosomes, cytosol, and DNA, and are enclosed by a plasma membrane.
How do bacteria differ from eukaryotic cells?
Bacteria are single-celled organisms without a nucleus, with a cell wall made of peptidoglycan, and they divide by binary fission. They also do not have energy-producing organelles or membrane-bound organelles.
What is the significance of bacteria’s small size?
Bacteria are typically small to promote a larger surface area-to-volume ratio, aiding in more efficient nutrient absorption and waste elimination.
How is metabolism carried out in bacteria?
Metabolism in bacteria is carried out by proteins that float freely in the cytoplasm or are embedded in the cell membrane.
What is the structure of the bacterial cell wall?
The bacterial cell wall contains peptidoglycan. Some bacteria have thick walls, while others have thin walls surrounded by an outer layer of lipids.
What is horizontal gene transfer?
Horizontal gene transfer is the transfer of genetic material between organisms that are not parent and offspring. This can occur through conjugation, transformation, or transduction.
What is conjugation in bacteria?
In conjugation, bacteria synthesize pili to connect with other cells, allowing the transfer of plasmids between cells.
What is transformation in bacteria?
Transformation is the uptake of DNA from the environment into a bacterial cell’s own DNA, often from dead bacteria or DNA released by other cells.
What is transduction in bacteria?
Transduction occurs when viruses infect bacterial cells and integrate their genes into the bacterial DNA, which can be passed down as the bacteria grow and divide.
How do archaea differ from bacteria?
Archaea are single-celled organisms like bacteria but have lipids in their membranes and do not have peptidoglycan in their cell walls. Archaea also employ RNA polymerase and transcription factors more similar to eukaryotes.
What are the features of archaea cell biology?
Archaea have a diverse range of molecules in their cell walls, lack peptidoglycan, and their transcription mechanism is more similar to eukaryotes than bacteria.
Why are antibiotics ineffective against archaea?
Antibiotics are ineffective against archaea because their cell structure and molecular biology differ significantly from bacteria.
What is the role of plasmids in bacteria?
Plasmids are small DNA molecules in bacteria that can carry extra genes, which may provide an adaptive advantage and increase genetic diversity.
What is one major structural similarity between Archaea and Bacteria?
Both lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
Are Archaea and Bacteria unicellular or multicellular?
Both are unicellular organisms.
How do Archaea and Bacteria reproduce?
By binary fission.
What type of DNA structure do both Archaea and Bacteria have?
Circular DNA.
Do Archaea and Bacteria have flagella?
Yes, both can have flagella.
What is the main difference in the cell wall composition between Archaea and Bacteria?
Archaea have no peptidoglycan (may have pseudopeptidoglycan), while Bacteria have peptidoglycan.
How do the membrane lipids differ in Archaea and Bacteria?
Archaea have ether-linked lipids (branched chains); Bacteria have ester-linked lipids (unbranched).
Where do Archaea typically live compared to Bacteria?
Archaea thrive in extreme environments; Bacteria are found everywhere.
