BIO 114 Organismal Biology - Lecture Notes Review

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary terms related to prokaryotic biology, virus characteristics, and their ecological roles, based on the lecture notes.

Lateral Gene Transfer

The transfer of genes from one species to another, including mechanisms such as transformation, transduction, and conjugation.

Quorum Sensing

A form of bacterial communication via chemical signaling that occurs as the density of bacteria increases.

Peptidoglycan

A polymer that makes up the cell wall of bacteria, unique to them and not present in archaea.

Gram-Positive Bacteria

Bacteria with thick cell walls that stain violet in a Gram stain.

Gram-Negative Bacteria

Bacteria with thin cell walls sandwiched between two membranes, staining pink in a Gram stain.

Endosymbiosis

The theory that chloroplasts and mitochondria originated from the engulfment of prokaryotic cells by a larger eukaryotic cell.

Biofilm

A microbial community held together with a secreted sticky extracellular matrix.

Prokaryotes

Unicellular organisms that divide by binary fission and lack membrane-bound organelles.

Obligate Anaerobes

Organisms that are poisoned by oxygen and require an anaerobic environment.

Facultative Anaerobes

Organisms that can use oxygen but can also survive without it.

Photoautotrophs

Organisms that use light to produce energy and fix carbon, such as cyanobacteria.

Viruses

Non-cellular infectious entities that replicate within host cells and consist of DNA or RNA.

Phage Therapy

The therapeutic use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections, particularly as antibiotic resistance emerges.

Cyanobacteria

Photosynthetic bacteria that use chlorophyll a to produce energy and release O2.

Koch's Postulates

A series of criteria established to demonstrate that a specific microorganism causes a specific disease.

Extremophiles

Organisms that thrive under extreme environmental conditions such as high temperature or salinity.

Biofilm Formation

The process by which free-living prokaryotes aggregate and form a stable, attached community.