Microbiology: Eukaryotic Microbes and Viruses

Animal Characteristics

Multicellular, heterotrophic organisms that lack cell walls and are mostly motile.

Plant Characteristics

Multicellular, autotrophic organisms with cell walls made of cellulose.

Fungi Characteristics

Unicellular or multicellular organisms that absorb nutrients and have chitin cell walls.

Fungal Reproduction

Reproduce via spores through both sexual and asexual means.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A unicellular yeast that reproduces asexually via budding.

Protists

Diverse, adaptable, mostly unicellular eukaryotes that are not classified as animals, plants, or fungi.

Protozoa

Single-celled, heterotrophic protists often motile using flagella, cilia, or pseudopodia.

Algae

Unicellular or multicellular photosynthetic protists found in aquatic environments.

Viral Genome Structure

Composed of DNA or RNA, which can be single-stranded or double-stranded.

Higher Viral Taxa Naming

Uses a single name that is both italicized and capitalized (e.g., Adenoviridae).

Virion

A complete viral particle (~10-400 nm) containing a nucleocapsid.

Capsomeres

Protein subunits that make up viral capsids, composed of protomers.

Helical Capsids

Viral capsids shaped like hollow tubes, such as in the tobacco mosaic virus.

Icosahedral Capsids

Polyhedral viral capsids featuring 20 equilateral triangular faces.

Complex capsid

helical + icosahedral shapes

Tailed Viruses"= Multipart Structures

Most bacteriophages

Animal life cycle

Complex life cycles

developmental stage

plant life cycle

alternation of generations

fungi life cycle:mold

Life cycle stages include spore formation, germination, and mycelium growth.

fungi life cycle:yeast

Unicellular

Asexual reproduction through budding

Nucleo

nucleic acid

(DNA/RNA)

Capsid

protein coat

enveloped virus

viron with envelope from host

naked virus

a virion without an envelope

Spikes

used in virion for attachment