All Bacterial Cells Have
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53 Terms
What is the bacterial cell membrane made of?
A phospholipid bilayer.
What is the main function of the cell membrane?
Controls entry and exit of molecules.
Do all bacteria have sterols in their membranes?
No, except Mycoplasma.
What important processes occur in the cell membrane?
Transport and energy generation.
What is cytoplasm in bacteria?
A water-based matrix inside the cell.
What is the function of cytoplasm?
It acts as a solvent for cellular chemical reactions.
What can be found in cytoplasm?
Inclusion bodies (lipids, starch, sulfur, etc.).
What does the bacterial genome contain?
All genes needed for the organism.
What shape is bacterial DNA?
A single circular chromosome.
Do bacteria have a nucleus?
No, DNA is in the nucleoid region.
Is bacterial DNA surrounded by a membrane?
No.
Where is bacterial DNA located?
In the nucleoid region.
What enzyme helps bacteria manage DNA coiling?
DNA gyrase (a type of topoisomerase).
What is the function of DNA gyrase?
Helps coil and uncoil circular DNA during replication and transcription.
Why is DNA gyrase important?
It is a major antibiotic target.
What are ribosomes made of?
rRNA and proteins.
What size ribosomes do bacteria have?
70S ribosomes.
What is the function of ribosomes?
Protein synthesis.
How do bacterial ribosomes differ from eukaryotic ones?
Bacteria = 70S, eukaryotes = 80S.
Why are ribosomes important medically?
They are a major antibiotic target.
What is the main component of bacterial cell walls?
Peptidoglycan.
What are the two main sugars in peptidoglycan?
NAG and NAM.
What does peptidoglycan do?
Provides structure and protection.
What is the main function of the bacterial cell wall?
Prevents osmotic lysis.
What else does the cell wall provide?
Rigidity and shape.
What environment does the cell wall protect against?
Hypotonic environments (water entering the cell).
What is the cell wall structure of Gram-positive bacteria?
Thick peptidoglycan layer.
What special molecules are found in Gram-positive walls?
Teichoic acids and lipoteichoic acids.
What do teichoic acids do?
Anchor the cell wall, transport ions, and act as antigens.
What is the cell wall structure of Gram-negative bacteria?
Thin peptidoglycan layer.
What extra structure do Gram-negative bacteria have?
An outer membrane.
What is found in the Gram-negative outer membrane?
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
What part of LPS causes toxicity?
Lipid A.
What does Lipid A cause?
Fever, inflammation, and shock (endotoxin effect).
What bacterial structures are major antibiotic targets?
Cell wall, ribosomes, DNA replication enzymes, and cell membrane.
Why do antibiotics selectively target bacteria?
Because these structures are different or absent in human cells.
What molecule do bacteria use to make folic acid?
PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid).
Why do bacteria need folic acid?
To make nucleotides needed for DNA and RNA.
What are nucleotides used for?
Building DNA and RNA.
What two groups of nitrogen bases require folic acid for synthesis?
Purines and pyrimidines.
Why is folic acid synthesis a good antibiotic target?
Bacteria must make their own folic acid.
Can bacteria import folic acid from their environment?
No.
How do human cells obtain folic acid?
They import it from food.
Why do drugs targeting folic acid synthesis usually not harm human cells?
Humans do not make folic acid; they import it.
What bacterial process is targeted when antibiotics block PABA use?
Folic acid synthesis.
What happens if bacteria cannot make folic acid?
They cannot make DNA or RNA and cannot reproduce.
Why is folic acid synthesis considered selective toxicity?
The pathway exists in bacteria but not in human cells.
What additional bacterial process can be targeted by drugs?
Glucose production.
Why is glucose important to cells?
It is used to produce ATP (energy).
What is ATP?
The cell's main energy currency.
What process produces glucose in photosynthetic organisms?
Photosynthesis.
Why can photosynthesis be a drug target?
Humans do not perform photosynthesis.
What does photosynthesis produce that cells need?
Glucose.