Microbiology: Cell Structure & Function 3 Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the structural characteristics and biological functions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells based on the lecture material.

Growth

A characteristic of life defined as an increase in size.

Peptidoglycan

A component of bacterial cell walls composed of chains of $N$-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and $N$-acetylmuramic acid (NAM) sugars attached by tetrapeptide crossbridges.

Capsule

A type of glycocalyx composed of organized repeating units firmly attached to the cell surface that helps prevent recognition and phagocytosis.

Pili

Long hollow tubules, typically $1-2$ per cell, used to transfer DNA from one bacterial cell to another through conjugation.

Lipid A

The lipid portion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in Gram-negative cell walls, also known as endotoxin, which can trigger fever, vasodilation, inflammation, shock, and blood clotting.

Endospore

A dormant form produced by some bacterial cells as a defensive strategy against unfavorable nutrients or conditions; it is resistant to heat, radiation, and chemicals.

Phagocytosis

A type of endocytosis where pseudopods surround and bring a solid substance into a eukaryotic cell.

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER)

A netlike arrangement of flattened, hollow tubules lacking ribosomes that functions in lipid synthesis and detoxification.

Mitochondria

Eukaryotic organelles with two phospholipid bilayer membranes that produce most of the cell's ATP and contain their own $70S$ ribosomes and DNA.

Endosymbiotic Theory

The theory that eukaryotes formed from the union of small aerobic prokaryotes with larger anaerobic prokaryotes, where the smaller parasites eventually evolved into mitochondria.