Chapter 7 micro

Hypertonic

A solution with a higher concentration of solutes compared to another solution, leading to cell shrinkage.

Plasmolysis

The process in which the cell membrane shrinks away from the cell wall due to the loss of water in a hypertonic solution.

Group Translocation

A type of active transport where the solute is modified as it is transported into the cell.

Obligate Anaerobes

Microbes that cannot tolerate oxygen and must live in anaerobic environments.

Obligate Aerobes

Microbes that require oxygen for survival and utilize it for metabolism.

Facultative Anaerobes

Microbes that can survive with or without oxygen, preferring to use oxygen when available.

Toxic Oxygen Byproducts

Harmful byproducts produced when organisms utilize oxygen, such as superoxide ions and hydrogen peroxide.

Catalase

An enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, helping detoxify it.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both parties benefit from the interaction.

Commensalism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Parasitism

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits at the expense of the other.

Cell Division

The process of a cell replicating into two daughter cells.

Exponential Growth

A growth pattern where the number of cells increases rapidly after an initial period of lag.

Conjugated Enzymes

More complex enzymes that require additional components (like cofactors) to be functional.

Endoenzymes

Enzymes that are retained and utilized inside the cell.

Exoenzymes

Enzymes that are secreted out of the cell to perform functions outside.

Induced Fit Model

A model of enzyme action where the active site of the enzyme changes shape to fit the substrate.

Biosynthesis

The process of using energy and raw materials to create new molecules within an organism.

Catabolism

The metabolic process of breaking down larger molecules into smaller ones, usually releasing energy.

Constitutive Enzymes

Enzymes that are always present and produced in constant amounts.

Regulated Enzymes

Enzymes whose production varies with the level of their substrates, increasing only when needed.