Prokaryotic Cytoskeleton, Cell Division, and Peptidoglycan

Vocabulary flashcards covering the prokaryotic cytoskeleton, cell division by binary fission, peptidoglycan structure, and the nucleoid.

Cytoskeleton (prokaryotic)

Internal scaffold of protein filaments in bacteria that mirrors, though not identically, the eukaryotic cytoskeleton and helps maintain shape and organization.

Protein fibers (prokaryotic cytoskeleton)

Filamentous proteins in bacteria that perform functions similar to eukaryotic cytoskeletal elements, aiding shape, division, and internal organization.

Binary fission

The primary mode of prokaryotic cell division in which a cell grows, duplicates its DNA, and splits into two daughter cells.

Peptidoglycan

The cell wall component that provides structural support and determines the shape of prokaryotic cells.

N-acetylglucosamine (NAG)

A sugar that forms part of the peptidoglycan layer in bacterial cell walls.

N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM)

The second sugar in peptidoglycan repeating units, linked to NAG.

Nucleoid (prokaryotic chromosome)

The region of the prokaryotic chromosome whose location is maintained by cytoskeletal elements within the cell.

Prokaryotic cytoskeleton vs eukaryotic cytoskeleton

Prokaryotic cytoskeletal proteins are almost analogous to, but not identical with, eukaryotic cytoskeletal proteins.