Biology Review: Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes, Plants, and Fungi

Comprehensive vocabulary review flashcards covering bacteria, archaea, protists, plant structure and reproduction, and fungal biology based on the review checks.

Bacilli

Rod-shaped bacteria.

Cocci

Spherical or round-shaped bacteria.

Spirilla and Spirochetes

Spiral-shaped bacteria.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria that produce oxygen gas and, according to the endosymbiotic theory, gave rise to chloroplasts.

Escherichia coli (E. coli)

A heterotrophic bacterium that naturally resides in the human intestinal tract.

Gram-Positive Bacteria

Bacteria that possess a thick peptidoglycan cell wall layer and stain blue-purple during Gram staining.

Gram-Negative Bacteria

Bacteria that possess a thin peptidoglycan cell wall layer and stain pink-purple during Gram staining.

Endospore

A durable, dormant survival structure formed by certain bacteria to endure harsh environmental conditions.

Aerobic Bacteria

Organisms that thrive specifically in an oxygen-rich environment.

Anaerobic Bacteria

Organisms that thrive specifically in an oxygen-depleted or oxygen-free environment.

Facultative Aerobes

Organisms capable of surviving and growing both in the presence and in the absence of oxygen.

Hyperthermophiles

Microorganisms that inhabit extremely hot environments, such as hot springs, and utilize sulfur in their energy metabolism.

Proteobacteria

A diverse bacterial phylum comprising a wide variety of species, including free-living organisms and major pathogenic bacteria.

Bacteroides

A major group of bacteria common in the intestinal flora that assists in breaking down organic matter.

Archaea vs. Bacteria Cellular Differences

The evolutionary distinction whereby archaea share closer cellular and functional similarities with eukaryotes than bacteria do.

Early Archaea

Ancient microorganisms that were hyperthermophiles capable of utilizing sulfur for energy metabolism.

Ciliates

Heterotrophic, unicellular eukaryotes that utilize cilia for locomotion, exemplified by the paramecium.

Euglenids (Ögonflagellater)

Unicellular flagellates, such as the genus Euglena, that are frequently green and capable of alternating between autotrophic and heterotrophic modes of nutrition.

Diatoms (Kiselalger)

Unicellular photosynthetic algae whose protective shells consist of two overlapping halves that fit together.

Dinoflagellates (Dinoflagellater)

Unicellular eukaryotic algae characterized by protective outer shells composed of interlocking cellulose plates.

Plant Primary Endosymbiosis

The evolutionary acquisition of a photosynthetic cyanobacterial endosymbiont by an early eukaryotic cell, establishing the common ancestor of red algae, green algae, and land plants.

Mosses (Mossor)

Non-vascular land plants that absorb water and nutrients directly through their leaves and stem rather than through specialized vascular tissue.

Ferns (Ormbunkar)

Seedless vascular plants characterized by large, divided fronds that take up water and nutrients via roots and vascular bundles.

Horsetails (Fräkenväxter)

Vascular plants distinguished by jointed stems with slender branches arranged in whorls around the main axis.

Clubmosses (Lummerväxter)

Vascular plants characterized by elongated, creeping shoots with erect branches and small, needle-like leaves.

Epidermis (Plants)

The outermost cellular protective layer that functions as the external protective barrier or skin of a plant.

Phloem

Vascular plant tissue specialized for transporting synthesized sugars and glucose throughout the organism.

Xylem

Vascular plant tissue specialized for conducting water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots to the leaves.

Stomata (Klyvöppningar)

Microscopic leaf apertures that regulate water transpiration and atmospheric gas exchange.

Annual Rings (Årsringar)

Concentric rings in secondary xylem that record plant growth fluctuations across seasonal cycles.

Cuttings (Sticklingar)

Severed vegetative plant fragments propagated to produce genetically identical clones through asexual reproduction.

Fruit Development Sequence

The chronological reproductive sequence consisting of pollination, fertilization, and subsequent fruit maturation.

Auxin

A plant hormone produced in shoot tips and juvenile leaves that travels downward toward root tips and directs phototropic curvature toward light.

Shared Traits of Fungi and Plants

Structural and cellular parallels including eukaryotic cell organization, presence of nuclei and organelles, and rigid outer cell walls.

Hyphae

Thin, microscopic filamentous threads that form the primary structural units of multicellular fungi.

Mycelium

The extensive, interconnected network formed collectively by fungal hyphae.

Fruiting Body (Fruktkropp)

The temporary macroscopic reproductive structure produced by a fungus that represents only a minor portion of the total fungal organism.

Budding (Knoppning)

The asexual reproductive mechanism in unicellular yeasts where daughter cells emerge directly from the parent cell.

Basidiomycetes (Basidiesvampar)

A fungal group that includes boletes (Stensopp) and fly agaric (Flugsvamp), producing spores externally on specialized gills or pores.

Ascomycetes (Sporsäckssvampar)

A fungal group that includes truffles, morels, yeasts, and molds, producing sexual spores within microscopic sac-like structures.

Mycorrhiza

A mutualistic symbiotic partnership established between fungal hyphae and the roots of a plant.

Lichen (Lav)

A composite organism arising from a mutualistic symbiosis between a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, such as a green alga or a cyanobacterium.