Metabolism, Microbial Genetics, and Recombinant DNA Technology

Flashcards covering key concepts in metabolism, microbial genetics, and recombinant DNA technology.

Glycolysis

Breaks down glucose into 2 ATP, 2 NADH, and 2 pyruvate.

Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP)

Produces NADPH and sugars for anabolism.

Krebs Cycle

Extracts energy from Acetyl-CoA to produce NADH, FADH2, ATP, and CO2.

Electron Transport Chain (ETC)

Generates a proton gradient to produce ATP.

Aerobic Respiration

Uses O2 as the final electron acceptor, yielding up to 38 ATP.

Anaerobic Respiration

Uses other electron acceptors (NO3-, SO42-) and yields less ATP.

Fermentation

Occurs without an electron transport chain or O2, yielding little energy.

Enzymes

Accelerate reactions by reducing the activation energy, may require cofactors or coenzymes.

Catabolism

Breaks down complex molecules, releasing energy (exergonic).

Anabolism

Constructs complex molecules, requiring energy (endergonic).

Phosphorylation at Substrate Level

Direct transfer of a phosphate group in glycolysis and the Krebs cycle.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

Uses energy from electron transfer in the electron transport chain.

Photophosphorylation

Uses light energy in photosynthetic organisms.

Transformation

Involves the uptake of free DNA from the environment by bacteria.

Conjugation

Involves the transfer of DNA from one bacterial cell to another through direct contact (pili).

Transduction

Involves the transfer of DNA between bacteria mediated by viruses (bacteriophages).

Lysogeny

Integration of viral DNA into the bacterial genome.

Mutation in the Reading Frame

Directly alters the amino acid sequence of a protein.

Mutation in Regulatory Regions

Changes the expression of a gene, affecting when and how much the gene is expressed.

Promoter

The site on DNA where RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription.

Operator

A site on DNA where repressors bind to regulate gene expression.

Sigma Factor

Helps RNA polymerase recognize promoters and initiate transcription in bacteria.

Inducible Operons

Operons that are typically off but can be turned on in the presence of an inducer (e.g., lac operon).

Repressible Operons

Operons that are typically on but can be turned off in the presence of a repressor (e.g., trp operon).

Restriction Endonucleases

Enzymes that cut DNA at specific recognition sequences.

Ligase

An enzyme that joins fragments of DNA together.

Vectors

Elements used to insert genes into other cells, such as plasmids.

Transposons

Mobile DNA elements that can insert into different locations in the genome, disrupting genes and allowing study of gene function.