Bacteria and Protists Vocabulary

Vocabulary-style flashcards defining key biological terms, cell structures, staining properties, protist categories, reproductive strategies, and specific lab specimens from the lecture notes.

Peptidoglycan

The material that makes up the cell wall of bacteria.

Plasma membrane (Bacteria)

The membrane lying between the cell wall and cytoplasm that regulates what enters and leaves the cell.

Cytoplasmic streaming

The directed movement of the cytoplasm that allows the protist to move and direct nutrients to other parts of the plasmodium.

Pseudopodia

Love shaped cytoplasmic extensions used for locomotion & engulfying prey.

Autotroph

An organism that uses light and organic compounds to make its own food.

Heterotroph

An organism that obtains organic nutrients from its environment.

Saptrotroph

An organism that sends out digestive enzymes and picks up nutrients (aka decomposer).

Capsule

A sticky outer layer found only in bacterial cells.

Pili

Short hair-like rods found only in bacteria, used to attach to surfaces and share DNA with other bacteria.

Gram positive

Bacteria with a cell wall composed of $60\% - 90\%$ peptidoglycan that stains purple; penicillin is ineffective because it cannot penetrate the cell wall.

Gram negative

Bacteria with $10\% - 20\%$ peptidoglycan that stain pink; penicillin is effective because there is no cell wall to penetrate.

Cocci

Sphere-shaped bacterial cells.

Bacillus

Rod-shaped bacterial cells.

Spirillum

Spiral shaped bacterial cells.

Wet mount

A preparation made by placing a specimen on a glass slide, adding a drop of water if needed, and placing a coverslip on at a $45^\circ$ angle.

Algae

Plant-like autotrophic protists.

Protozoa

Animal-like heterotrophic protists.

Slime Molds

Absorptive heterotrophic protists.

Unicellular protists

Protists that live as single cells, such as Amoeba and Paramecium.

Colonial protists

Protists whose cells are attached to each other but remain metabolically independent.

Filamentous protists

Protists arranged in chains of cells attached end to end, such as Spirogyra.

Isogamy

A sexual reproductive strategy in green algae involving motile male and female gametes that look exactly alike.

Heterogamy

A sexual reproductive strategy in green algae where motile male and female gametes look alike, but the egg is larger.

Oogamy

A sexual reproductive strategy in green algae where the male gamete is small & motile, and the female gamete is large & non-motile.

Bacillus megaterium

A Domain Bacteria specimen characterized by a Gram positive stain (purple) and Coccus shape.

Rhodospirillum rubrum

A Domain Bacteria specimen characterized by a Gram negative stain (pink) and Spirillum shape.

Micrococcus luteus

A Domain Bacteria specimen characterized by a Gram positive stain (purple) and Bacillus shape.

Amoeba

A Domain Eukarya, Kingdom Protista specimen that uses pseudopodia for motility and reproduces via asexual reproduction.

Paramecium

A Domain Eukarya, Kingdom Protista specimen with a bean-like shape that uses cilia for motility.

Euglena

A unicellular Domain Eukarya, Kingdom Protista specimen that has flagella on its anterior, uses chloroplasts & photosynthesis, and is mixotrophic.

Mixotrophic

The ability to switch between autotrophic and heterotrophic feeding, as seen in Euglena.

Volvox

A Domain Eukarya, Kingdom Protista specimen that uses two flagella for motility and reproduces via oogamous sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction.

Spirogyra

A Domain Eukarya, Kingdom Protista specimen featuring long thin strands with spiral chloroplasts that uses isogamous sexual reproduction.