Prokaryotic Diversity (Chapter 4) - VOCABULARY Flashcards

Vocabulary-focused flashcards drawn from the lecture notes on prokaryotic diversity, habitats, symbioses, proteobacteria groups, nonproteobacteria, phototrophic bacteria, Actinobacteria, clinical cases, deeply branching bacteria, and archaea.

Nanocables

Long appendages used by Shewanella to sense oxygen in low-oxygen deep-sea environments.

Shewanella

A bacterium that lives in the deep sea and uses nanocables to sense oxygen.

Halophiles

Prokaryotes that thrive in extremely salty environments (e.g., Dead Sea).

Halobacterium salinarum

An archaeon that is a halophile living in the Dead Sea.

Rhizobium

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in the root nodules of legumes and forming symbiosis with plants.

Bacteroids

Bacterium-like cells inside plant cells within root nodules.

Mutualism

Symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

Commensalism

Symbiotic relationship where one benefits and the other is unaffected.

Parasitism

Symbiotic relationship where one benefits at the expense of the other.

Amensalism

Interaction where one organism is harmed and the other is unaffected.

Neutralism

Interaction where both organisms are unaffected by each other.

Phototroph

Organism that obtains energy from light.

Chemotroph

Organism that obtains energy from chemical compounds.

Autotroph

Organism that fixes carbon from CO2 or inorganic carbon sources.

Heterotroph

Organism that carbon from organic compounds.

Photoautotroph

Energy from light; carbon from CO2 (e.g., plants, algae, cyanobacteria).

Photoheterotroph

Energy from light; carbon from organic compounds.

Chemoautotroph

Energy from inorganic oxidation; carbon from CO2.

Chemoheterotroph

Energy from chemical compounds; carbon from organic compounds.

Oxygenic photosynthesis

Photosynthesis that uses water as an electron donor, producing O2.

Anoxygenic photosynthesis

Photosynthesis that uses inorganic electron donors and does not produce O2.

Chlamydia elementary bodies

Metabolically inactive infectious form that enters host cells.

Chlamydia reticulate bodies

Intracellular, metabolically active form that replicates inside host cells.

Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology

Bergey’s 1923 manual summarizing bacteria by Latin binomial classification.

Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology

Expanded, five-volume publication detailing taxonomy and properties of named prokaryotes.

LPSN

List of Prokaryotic Names with Standing in Nomenclature.

Binomial nomenclature

Latin two-name system for naming organisms (genus and species).

Alphaproteobacteria

Class of Proteobacteria; includes nitrogen-fixers like Rhizobium and others with diverse roles.

Rhizobium (nitrogen-fixing bacteria)

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules of legumes; form symbiosis with plants.

Agrobacterium

Genus in Alphaproteobacteria; known for plant interactions and genetic tools.

Bartonella

Gram-negative Alphaproteobacteria; certain species cause human disease.

Brucella

Facultative intracellular bacteria; cause brucellosis in animals and humans.

Caulobacter

Gram-negative bacterium with a unique life cycle; used in differentiation studies.

Chlamydia

Obligate intracellular bacteria; causes chlamydia, trachoma, pneumonia.

Coxiella

Obligate intracellular bacteria; causes Q fever.

Ehrlichia

Obligate intracellular bacteria; transmitted by ticks; cause ehrlichiosis.

Hyphomicrobium

Gram-negative bacilli; stalk-forming, related to Caulobacter.

Methylocystis

Methanotrophic, nitrogen-fixing Alphaproteobacteria.

Rickettsia

Obligate intracellular bacteria; transmitted by ticks; may cause spotted fevers.

Oligotrophs

Organisms adapted to low-nutrient environments (e.g., deep-sea, polar).

Betaproteobacteria

Class of Proteobacteria; includes Bordetella, Burkholderia, Neisseria, etc.

Bordetella

Small gram-negative coccobacillus; Bordetella pertussis causes whooping cough.

Burkholderia

Gram-negative bacillus; aerobic; causes disease in CF patients and others.

Leptothrix

Gram-negative, iron- and manganese-oxidizing aquatic bacterium.

Neisseria

Gram-negative cocci; includes N. meningitidis; oxidase-positive.

Thiobacillus

Thermophilic, acidophilic, iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.

Eutrophs (copiotrophs)

Organisms requiring copious nutrients; growth in rich environments.

Neisseria meningitidis

Causes meningitis; grows on chocolate agar; highly contagious.

Gammaproteobacteria

Diverse class; includes Escherichia, Pseudomonas, Vibrio, Salmonella, etc.

Beggiatoa

Gram-negative bacteria; sulfur-oxidizing; found in aquatic environments.

Enterobacter

Gram-negative bacillus; opportunistic infections in hospitals.

Escherichia coli

G- bacillus in gut; some strains mutualists; others pathogens (e.g., O157:H7).

Pseudomonas

Aerobic, versatile, opportunistic pathogen; often pigment-producing.

Vibrio

Gram-negative curved rods; some species cause gastroenteritis; aquatic environments.

Shigella

Nonmotile, highly pathogenic; causes dysentery via Shiga toxin.

Serratia

Motile, often red pigment; opportunistic hospital infections.

Shigella

Nonmotile, highly pathogenic; causes severe diarrhea.

Aliivibrio fischeri

Bioluminescent bacterium mutualistically associated with Hawaiian bobtail squid.

Legionella pneumophila

Causes Legionnaires’ disease; thrives in warm water systems.

Typhoid fever (Salmonella typhi)

Infection caused by S. typhi; systemic illness from contaminated water/food.

Deltaproteobacteria

Class including Bdellovibrio, Desulfovibrio, and Myxobacterium.

Bdellovibrio

Gram-negative, predatory bacterium; parasitizes other bacteria.

Desulfovibrio

Gram-negative, sulfate-reducing bacterium; used in waste remediation.

Myxobacterium

Soil bacteria forming swarming colonies and fruiting bodies; model for signaling.

Myxobacteria fruiting bodies

Structures produced by myxobacteria; contain myxospores.

Planctomycetes

Bacteria with holdfast for attachment; some swarmers lack holdfast.

Planctomycetes holdfast vs swarmers

Holdfast attaches to surfaces; swarmers are motile and lack holdfast.

Planctomycetes holdfast

Device for adherence to surfaces in aquatic environments.

Phototrophic Bacteria

Bacteria that harvest light for energy; include cyanobacteria and green sulfur/non-sulfur bacteria.

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae)

Oxygenic phototrophs; Microcystis aeruginosa can form harmful blooms.

Chlorobi

Green sulfur bacteria; anoxygenic phototrophs using sulfur deposition.

Chloroflexi

Green nonsulfur bacteria; anoxygenic phototrophs.

Purple nonsulfur bacteria

Proteobacteria that anoxygenically photosynthesize using organic compounds as carbon sources.

Purple sulfur bacteria

Proteobacteria that anoxygenically photosynthesize using sulfur compounds.

Cyanobacteria bloom

Rapid growth of cyanobacteria in warm water, sometimes producing neurotoxins.

Actinobacteria

High G+C Gram-positive bacteria; includes many soil bacteria and pathogens.

Actinomyces israelii

Branching actinobacteria; causes periodontal infections.

Corynebacterium diphtheriae

G+ rod; causes diphtheria.

Gardnerella vaginalis

Gram-variable coccobacillus; associated with bacterial vaginosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Slow-growing, acid-fast, high G+C; causes tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium leprae

Causes leprosy.

Nocardia

Weakly G+ bacillus; can cause pneumonia and skin infections.

Propionibacterium

G+ rod; anaerobic; associated with acne (P. acnes).

Rhodococcus

G+ rod; useful in pollutant biodegradation; some plant and animal pathogens.

Streptomyces lack cell wall

Not applicable; note: this card is about Mycoplasma; Mycoplasma lacks cell wall.

Mycoplasma

Smallest bacteria; lack cell wall; pleomorphic; M. pneumoniae causes walking pneumonia.

Staphylococcus aureus

G+ coccus in clusters; some strains MRSA/VRSA; toxins cause infections.

Streptococcus

G+ cocci in chains; many species cause throat infections and more; categorized by hemolysis.

MRSA

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; antibiotic-resistant pathogen.

VRSA

Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; antibiotic-resistant strain.

Löwenstein–Jensen (LJ) agar

Medium used to culture Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Acid-fast bacilli (AFB)

Bacteria (e.g., Mycobacterium) that resist decolorization by acid-alcohol; detected by staining.

Nucleic acid amplification (NAA) testing

Molecular technique to detect bacterial DNA/RNA for identification.

Deeply Branching Bacteria

Early-diverging bacteria; examples include Acetothermus, Aquifex, Thermotoga.

Acetothermus paucivorans

A deeply branching bacterium; grows near 58°C; close to LUCA.

Aquifex pyrophilus

Thermophilic, deep-branching bacterium; thrives at very high temperatures.

Thermotoga maritima

Thermophilic deeply branching bacterium; from thermal ocean vents.

Deinococcus radiodurans

'Conan the Bacterium'; extremely resistant to radiation and harsh conditions.

Archaea

Domain distinct from Bacteria; membranes with ether lipids; no peptidoglycan in walls.

Ether-linked lipids

Archaeal membrane lipids with ether bonds and branched isoprenes.