MICR501 Microbial Life - Week 3 Lecture Flashcards

Comprehensive fill-in-the-blank flashcards covering prokaryotic cell structures, the differences between bacteria and archaea, mutation types, and horizontal gene transfer mechanisms.

The prokaryotic cell generates a turgor pressure of about __________.

$$2\,\text{atmospheres}$$

The cell walls of bacteria are formed largely of __________, a compound found only in bacteria.

peptidoglycan

Bacterial cell walls can be divided into two types: __________ (thick, rough, single layer) and Gram negative (thin, smooth, multilayered).

Gram positive

Archaeal cell walls are composed of __________, or other polysaccharides, glycoproteins and proteins.

pseudopeptidoglycan

In bacteria, the cytoplasmic membrane is a lipid bilayer consisting of __________.

glycerol-ester lipids

In archaea, the cytoplasmic membrane is a lipid monolayer consisting of __________.

glycerol-ether lipids

Bacteria utilize fatty acid chains in their membranes, while archaea utilize __________.

isoprene chains

The __________ is a tightly attached structure with definite boundaries, mostly composed of polysaccharide, found in some bacteria but very rare in archaea.

capsule

Prokaryotic genome size varies from approximately __________ to __________.

$1.5\,\text{mb}$ to $4.5\,\text{mb}$

While bacteria have a single origin of replication, archaea often have __________ sites.

multiple origin of replication

Prokaryotes possess __________ ribosomes, which consist of a $30S$ small subunit and a $50S$ large subunit.

70S

The short, hair-like appendages primarily involved in adhesion to surfaces and biofilm formation are called __________.

fimbriae

__________ are longer and fewer in number compared to fimbriae and are used in conjugation and twitching motility.

pili

Prokaryotes carry out cell division through a process called __________.

binary fission

The 'one-way' flow of genetic information defined as 'DNA makes RNA, RNA makes protein' is referred to as the __________.

central dogma

A __________ involve the changing of a single nucleotide.

point mutation

A __________ occurs when the change in the DNA nucleotide codes for the same amino acid, resulting in no impact on the protein.

silent mutation

A __________ occurs when the DNA change leads to the RNA sequence becoming a stop codon, terminating translation prematurely.

nonsense mutation

A __________ occurs when the DNA change leads to a different amino acid being encoded, likely resulting in a faulty protein.

missense mutation

Additions or deletions of nucleotides that cause a shift in the reading frame are known as __________.

frameshift mutations

__________ is the process where foreign genetic material from the environment is taken up by a cell.

transformation

The mechanism by which a virus transfers genetic material from one bacterium to another is called __________.

transduction

The transfer of genetic material between bacteria through direct contact is known as __________.

conjugation