Bio 230 1.1 Study Qs

What is an antibiotic? Name two organisms that produce them.

Antibiotics are chemicals that specifically inhibit the growth of bacteria or kill them, but do not affect eukaryotic cells. Molds like Penicillium chrysogenum, many species of Streptomyces, and some species of Bacillus produce antibiotics.

Anton van Leeuwenhoek and the development of the Light Microscope.

Anton van Leewenhoek created -over 400 microscopes during his lifetime. He was the first person to view living microorganisms, which he called animacules. Because of his work, we know what living microorganisms look like.

Which two Domains include prokaryotic cells? List two distinguishing characteristics of each of these two Domains.

Bacteria No nucleus or other membrane-bound compartments (Prokaryotes)Have peptidoglycan in their cell wallsSensitive to antibiotics Archaea No peptidoglycan in their cell wallsHave bacteria-like structure (no organelles, Prokaryotes)Not sensitive to antibioticsTend to grow in extreme environments

What sort of information would you find in Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology?

Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd edition is the main resource for determining the identity of a bacterial species. It does not identify bacteria according to evolutionary relatedness. Instead, it provides identification (determinative) schemes based on criteria such as: morphology, cell wall composition, differential staining, oxygen requirements, and biochemical testing.

Describe the use of microorganisms in bioremediation, food production, manufacture of chemotherapeutics and other industrial products.

BioremediationBioremediation uses microorganisms to break down or absorb toxic chemicalsImportant in sewage treatmentMicroorganisms in digestor tanks convert solids suspended in water to carbon dioxide, nitrates, phosphates, sulfates, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and methane.Can be used to break down other hazardous chemicalsMany molecules can only be broken down by microorganismsExample: Cellulose FoodMany foods require fermentation by microorganisms to makeAlcohol fermentationBreadBeer/wine/other alcoholic beveragesAcid fermentationYogurt, cheesesSaurkraut, Pickles, Kimchi BiotechnologyBiotechnology is the use of living systems to make new productsOften involves genetic engineering or recombinant DNA technologyGenetic engineeringCombining a gene of interest with a vector.The vector allows a new organism to use the gene.Insert the gene into bacteria to make large amounts of a protein.Insert the gene into bacteria, plants, and animals to give them novel properties.

State the importance of classification, identification, and nomenclature.

ClassificationA method by which biologists group and categorize organisms by biological type, such as genus or species. NomenclatureA term that applies to either a list of names and/or terms, or to the system of principles, procedures and terms related to naming - which is the assigning of a word or phrase to a particular object or property. IdentificationDetermining the identity of an unknown organism

Name the three Domains of life.

Domain Archaea Domain Bacteria Domain Eukarya

Using the taxons of Escherichia coli as an example, arrange the taxonomic categories in a hierarchy. List both the name of the taxonomic category and the corresponding name of E. coli that fits into that category.

Domain: Bacteria (Most general) Kingdom: None/Eubacteria Phylum: PROTEOBACTERIA Class: Gamma-proteobacteria Order: Enterobacteriales Family: Enterobacteriaceae Genus: Escherichia Species: coli (Most specific)

What is the endosymbiotic theory? List two pieces of evidence that supports it.

Endosymbiotic theory (Figure 10.2, Table 10.2) · States that the eukaryotic chloroplasts and mitochondria evolved from prokaryotes engulfed by a pre-eukaryote (the ancestor of eukaryotes). Over time, the bacteria lost features that made them recognizable as separate cells and became the mitochondria and chloroplasts found in eukaryotic cells today. · Evidence supporting the theory o Generally, evidence consists of ways that mitochondria and chloroplasts still resemble bacterial cells. o These organelles have a small, circular, bacteria-like chromosome o They have their own ribosomes, which are 70S ribosome (like bacteria), not 80S ribosomes (like eukaryotes) o These organelles divide independently of their parent cell o These organelles are surrounded by multiple membranes, which is indicative of endocytosis

List two characteristics of eukaryotic cells that distinguish them from prokaryotic cells.

EukaryotesHave internal membrane-bound spaces (organelles and a nucleus)Have large (80S) ribosomesSimple or no cell wallsMultiple linear chromosomes ProkaryotesHave no internal membrane-bound spaces (with a few exceptions)Have small (70S) ribosomesHave chemically complex cell walls (with a few rare exceptions)Have one circular chromosome (with a few rare exceptions)

Francesco Redi and Louis Pasteur and the concepts of Spontaneous Generation and Biogenesis.

Francesco Redi performed an experiment to determine if maggots on meat spontaneously generated or needed to be hatched from eggs laid by flies (supporting biogenesis). He filled two jars with decaying meat, sealed one. Fly larva only appeared on the open one. Performed a second experiment, in response to critics, with one open jar and one sealed with gauze to satisfy the critics. Showed that "complex" (large, multi-cellular organisms) do not originate through spontaneous generation. · Louis Pasteur-Boiled broth in long necked flasks. Bent the necks of some of the flasks into an "S" shape. Microorganisms developed in the flasks with straight necks, didn't develop in "S" necked flasks. Showed that "simple" (single-celled organisms) do not originate through spontaneous generation. · Both of these experiments helped disprove the Theory of Spontaneous Generation, the idea that life can originate from unloving materials and supported the Theory of Biogenesis, which states that living cells must come from other living cells.

Rosalind Franklin, Francis Crick, and James Watson and the discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA.

Francis Crick and James Watson used X-ray crystalographogy data generated by Rosalind Franklin to determine that the structure of DNA is a double helix. This structure explains how DNA can store genetic information and can be replicated.

Louis Pasteur and the process of pasteurization.

Louis Pasteur found that microorganisms were responsible for fermentation, the conversion of sugars to alcohol in the absence of oxygen, and also spoilage, the conversion of alcohols to acids (vinegar) in the absence of oxygen. He developed the process of pasteurization, where the beverage is heated just enough to kill most of the bacteria that cause spoilage. Just as long as the container remained sealed, new bacteria that might have caused spoilage would not appear.

Give two reasons why microorganisms are a good subject for study?

Microorganisms are tractableThey don't take up much spaceThey grow quickly They are important ecologically, economically, and medically They can be used as models for more complicated organismsMicroorganisms and macroorganisms (larger organisms) are similar at the cellular level

Describe characteristics of the various groups of eukaryotes included in the study of Microbiology: fungi, protozoa, algae, and helminthes.

ProtozoaSometimes called protistsNon-taxonomic group of unicellular eukaryotesUsually free-livingExample organismsAmoeba, Spirogyra FungiCommon characteristicsCan be multicellular or unicellularHave cell walls made of chitinGenerally have filamentous growthExamples studied in microbiologyYeastsSingle-celled fungi-Example: SaccharomycesMoldsFungi that form filamentous masses-Example: Rhizopus AlgaeNon-taxonomic group of photosynthetic eukaryotesCan be single or multicellularMany are also protozoaExamples studied in microbiologySpirogyraOlder sources may include photosynthetic bacteriaNot true plants HelminthsNon-taxonomic group of parasitic wormsHave a microscopic larval stageExamples studied in microbiologyParasitic worms (helminthes)

Name the bacteria that are symbiotic with legumes. What vital function do these bacteria perform for the legumes?

Rhizobium is a bacteria that is in a symbiotic relationship with many legumes Rhizobium fixes nitrogen, converting gaseous N2 into a form that the plants then use.

Name and briefly describe the two types of non-living infectious agents studied in microbiology.

VirusesAcellular, nonliving infectious particles that consist of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coatNeed to infect a host cell to reproduce.Cause AIDS, influenza, Ebola hemorrhagic fever PrionsNonliving infectious proteinsCause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) ViroidsNonliving infectious circular RNA moleculesCause diseases in plants

Why are the bacteria Agrobacterium and Thermus aquaticus important for biotechnology?

· Agrobacterium is used to make transgenic plants. Agrobacterium is a bacteria that can transfer genetic information into plants. It causes crown gall disease in the wild. · Thermus aquaticus is a species of bacteria that lives in hot springs. Since its DNA polymerase is effective at high temperatures, it is used to perform the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a technique that allows the amplification of DNA molecules.

Alexander Flemming to the development of chemotherapy

· Alexander Flemming discovered penicillin, the first antibiotic, by accident when his plates were contaminated with the fungus Penicillium. He observed that bacterial colonies could not grow near the fungal colony, and surmised that the fungus was making a substance (penicillin) that prevented the growth of the bacteria. Antibiotics are chemicals that specifically in inhibit the growth of, or kill, bacteria.

Edward Jenner to the process of vaccination.

· Edward Jenner developed the vaccination by treating a child with cow pox to prevent small pox. The treatment with cow pox gave the child immunity to small pox. Vaccination is the process of conferring immunity by administering a vaccine (a preparation of killed, inactivated, attenuated or otherwise relatively benign organisms).

The addition of "O157:H7" to at the end of Escherichia coli O157:H7 indicates that you are talking about a what of E. coli? What symptoms are caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7?

· Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a strain of E. coli. Unlike many other strains of E. coli¸ E. coli O157:H7 causes food poisoning, causing bloody diarrhea when in the intestines.

Name the two taxons used in binominal nomenclature. Briefly describe how the binominal name of an organism is formatted.

· Genus and species. Both names are always written in italics. The genus is always capitalized and may be abbreviated by its first letter the second and subsequent times it is written in a document. The species is never capitalized and is always written out.

Ignatz Semmelweis and Joseph Lister and the development of aseptic technique.

· Ignatz Semmelweis suggested that physicians wash their hands before and after surgery to help prevent transmitting diseases their patients. He did not have a model to explain his recommendations, so they were largely rejected by the physicians at the time. · Joseph Lister developed the idea of aseptic surgery based on Semmelweis' work. Lister sterilized his surgical tools with carbolic acid (phenol) to prevent infection by the microorganisms on them.