Difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes (2)
Most bacteria cell are _______ micro-metres in length.
0.5 to 10
(Largest Prokaryote: Epulopiscium fishelsoni
Smallest Prokaryote: Mycoplasma pneumonia)
Why does surface area to volume ratio matter in terms of cell size and cell growth?
SA/V ratio affects how quickly cells exchange nutrients and waste into their environment. Small cells can grow/reproduce more quickly–> use less time/energy to replicate cells.
Shape of prokaryotes are determined by what factors? (4)
In no particular order:
Know your morphology vocab kidzz! (6 important terms)
Name three types of Cocci: spheres and examples!!
Note: You can also have a single free-floating sphere —> ‘coccus’
Name Bacilli rod example:
Salmonella enterica –> food positioning and can cause typhoid fever
Example of Vibrio: Comma shaped:
hint: Neha’s pun ;)
Vibrio cholerae; human pathogen that can cause diarrhea and hydration
Name example of Helical shape:
Spring shaped
Helicobacter pylori; human stomach, cause of stomach ulcers, stomach cancers
Example of Spirochetes (Long spirals):
Borrelia burgdorferi; bacteria pathogen causing Lyme diseases by ticks
Example of Appendaged/Budding:
Caulobacter crescentus; study bacterial cell cycle, asymmetric cell division
Example of Filamentous Shape:
Noodles shaped!
Chloroflexus aurantiacus; photosynthetic bacteria don’t produce oxygen
How can cell shape affect aspects of day to day life? (5)
o Nutrient access/uptake (surface:volume ratio)
o Motility
o Attachment to surfaces
o Formation of biofilms
o Interactions with other microbes and/or eukaryotic host cells
Monomorphic vs Pleomorphic:
hint: mono means single; p stands for pleural
Monomorphic: adopt one shape; observed in most pure cultures of bacteria
Pleomorphic: multiple different morphologies for same bacterium, adopt multiple morphologies
What causes different morphologies/changes of morphology? (3)
o Differentiation into different cell types or spore formation –> cell program change
o Altered morphology in response to environmental stress
o Altered morphology due to mutation
What’s special about Arthobacter crystallopoietes?
Its pleomorphic!
Rod shapes during fast/logarthmic growth
Coccus during slow/ no growth
Major structures of the Cell Envelope: (4)
Roles of the Cell Envelope: (4 main ones)
o Maintains barrier with environment
o Protects cell from stress
o Allows transport of nutrients into cell and waste out of cell
o Energy conservation/production
Difference between Gram-negative and Gram-positive cell envelope?
Gram positive:
thick cell wall, no outer membrane, different/smaller periplasmic space
Gram negative: (think of a sandwich - has 2 membranes)
thin cell wall, outer membrane, has another cell membrane, periplasmic space b/w the two membrances
Explain the three functions of cytoplasmic membrane:
Hydrophilic vs Hydrophobic:
Hydrophilic: “water loving” molecules; Ionic
and/or polar.
Hydrophobic: “water fearing” molecules; nonpolar.
Which parts of the cytoplasmic membrane are hydrophilic and hydrophobic?
Hydrophilic: Backbone –> glycerol and phosphate (is conserved in both euk. and prok.)
Hydrophobic: Fatty Acid Tails –> E.g. unsaturated
fatty acids (contain double bonds = kinks) increase fluidity (decrease rigidity) of membrane.
What are the three proteins found in the cytoplasmic membrane?
Why does it mean when the Cytoplasmic membrane have “two faces”?
One side of cytoplasmic membrane faces the cytoplasm and the other faces outward (
periplasmic face).
Specific Topolgies!
2 faces of the cytoplasmic membrane are identical in respect to the phospholipids, but not identical cause the proteins in different direction make domains face different from one another.