Mircobiology Lecture 4

Basic dye

A type of dye that is positively charged (cationic).

Gram Stain

A technique used to differentiate bacterial species based on cell wall composition.

Taxonomy

The classification of organisms into categories based on their relationships.

Phylogeny

The study of evolutionary relationships among biological entities.

Prokaryotes

Organisms without a nucleus or membrane-bound organelles; generally smaller than eukaryotes.

Eukaryotes

Organisms that have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; generally larger than prokaryotes.

Ribosomes

Cellular structures that synthesize proteins.

Bacillus

One of the three basic shapes of bacteria; rod-shaped.

Coccus

One of the three basic shapes of bacteria; spherical-shaped.

Spiral

One of the three basic shapes of bacteria; helical or twisted.

Carl Woese

The scientist who used DNA sequencing to classify organisms into three domains.

Binary fission

A method of cell division in prokaryotes.

Mitosis

A method of cell division in eukaryotes.

Eukaryotic species

A group of closely related organisms that can interbreed.

Prokaryotic species

A population of cells with similar characteristics, often identified by genome sequencing.

Phylogenetic tree

A diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms.

Genome sequencing

The process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genome.