Microbiology: Electron Flow and Specific Organisms Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering microbial electron flow, bioremediation, and specific organisms like Geobacter, Sulfolobus, and Halobacterium based on the lecture notes.

Rhodopseudomonas

An environmental bacteria known for its many modes of electron movement, including chemoautotrophic, chemoheterotrophic, photoautotrophic, and photoheterotrophic.

Geobacter

An anaerobe known as "iron breathing" that oxidizes organic compounds to $CO_2$, using iron as the final electron acceptor.

Bioremediation

The use of microorganisms to reduce pollution, such as using Geobacter to remove Uranium from water by oxidizing an organic substrate like acetate.

Sulfolobus

An Archaea found in volcanic hot springs that is categorized as a thermoacidophile.

Thermoacidophiles

Organisms that thrive in extreme environments characterized by high temperatures and low $pH$ levels.

Sulfur oxidation

A process in Sulfolobus where hydrogen sulfide is oxidized to sulfuric acid, which can cause severe environmental acidification.

Bacteriorhodopsin

A protein comprising seven alpha helices that span the membrane in alternating directions and surround a molecule of retinal linked to a lysine residue.

Retinal

A molecule within bacteriorhodopsin that absorbs a photon, shifting its configuration from trans to cis to generate a proton gradient.

Halobacterium

An Archaea that thrives in extreme salinity and packs its entire cell membrane with bacteriorhodopsin to maximize light absorption.

$F_1F_o$ ATP synthase

The enzyme driven by the proton gradient generated by bacteriorhodopsin to synthesize ATP.