Wk 6A

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to prokaryotic organisms, including bacteria and archaea, focusing on their structure, classification, and interactions with antibiotics and environments.

Prokaryotic

Organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus, including bacteria and archaea.

Gram Stain

A staining technique used to categorize bacteria into Gram-positive and Gram-negative based on the properties of their cell walls.

Coccus

A spherical-shaped bacterium, with its plural form being cocci.

Bacillus

A rod-shaped bacterium, with its plural form being bacilli.

Peptidoglycan

A polymer that makes up the cell wall of many bacteria, providing structural support.

Gram-positive

Bacteria with a thick peptidoglycan layer that stain purple during the Gram staining process.

Gram-negative

Bacteria with a thin peptidoglycan layer and an additional lipopolysaccharide layer that stain pink during Gram staining.

Antibiotic Resistance

The ability of bacteria to withstand the effects of antibiotics that once killed them or inhibited their growth.

Horizontal Gene Transfer

The process by which bacteria can exchange genetic material with one another, leading to genetic diversity.

Biofilm

An aggregation of microorganisms that adhere to surfaces and often produce a protective mucus layer.

Methanogens

A type of archaea that produces methane as a metabolic byproduct in anaerobic conditions.

Mutations

Changes in the DNA sequence of an organism's genome that can lead to variations in traits, including antibiotic resistance.

Pili

Hair-like structures on the surface of bacteria that aid in attachment to surfaces.

Microevolution

Small evolutionary changes that occur within populations of a species over time.