Prokaryotes: Lecture 2

Chapter 27.1-27.4

Fig. 26.21
I. Intro
A. Prokaryotes-first organisms on Earth
evolved~ 3.5 bya
B. Origin of Life
Chap. 25.1/25.3
chemical evolution hypothesis-life developed from non-living matter
first type of prok. evolved were heterotroph
o then photosynthetic autotrophs
then aerobes(extracted ATP from nutrients they took in)
C. Domains Bacteria and Archaea: both Prokaryotes
D. Dominant
ex: human body-~70 trillion cells
bacteria: 700 trillion
E. pervasive
F. size
0.5-5 micrometers
II. Cell Surface Structures
A. Cell Wall-almost all have cell wall
1. functions

o a. protects
o b. shapes
i. cocci-balls/spheres
diplococous-2
streptococcus-chain
staphylococcus-clump
ii. bacilli-rods
iii. spirals
spirillium-rigid
spirochete-flexible
o c. prevents burst in a hypotonic envir. (Fig. 7.12)
doesn't prevent plasmolysis in hypertonic environment
2. peptidoglycan
o a. only domain Bacteria
o b. polymer
sugars cross-linked by short polypeptides
o c. not in euk. cell walls
plant: comprise of cellulose
fungi:chitin
o d. Gram Stain-divides bacteria into 2 categories based on how cells
take on stain
i. 2 stains used

 1st-crystal violetpurple
2nd-safraninpink
ii. Gram positive
think wall of peptidoglycan
retain crystal violent stain
only see purple
penicillin-interferes with peptidoglycan synthesis
cell cannot produce strong viable cell wall
so most effective in gram positive
iii. Gram Negative
cell wall-thin layer of peptidoglycan
do not retain crystal violet
see pinkish colored cell
outer membrane
made of lipoploysachharides(LPS)[are
toxic;induces fever]
causes more serious disease
iv. correct antibiotics-Fig. 27.3
B. Capsules and slime layers
are layers that surround the cell wall(external)
comprise mainly of polysaccharides and proteins
important in providing protection against phagocytosis

C. fimbriae and pili-Fig. 27.6

hair-like
fimbriae are shorter and more numerous than pili
both used for attachment
D. endospores-Fig. 27.5
dormant stage
very resistant stage
III. Motility
A. taxis
1. the directed movement in response to a stimulus
2. positive cell is moving toward stimulus
3.negative-cell moves away from stimulus
4. ex: chemotaxis
B. flagella- most have this
1. very common motility structure
2. find them in not only bacteria and archaea but also eukaryote
o a. comparison of prok. and euk.
prok- 1/10 as wide as euk. flagella
not cover by plasma membrane
prok. and euk.'s flagella have different molecular
composition and different propulsion
o b. comparison of Bacteria and Archaea

 have similar size

similar propulsion mechanism
but composition is different
o c. Bacteria, Archaea, and Euk.
perform similar functions
but mechanisms, structures, etc. are different
arose independently
analogous structure
3. Prok. Flagellum
o a. 3 parts
motor-series of rings embedded in the cell wall and the
plasma membrane
hook- curved part of the flagellum
filament-long part; rotates propels cell through envir.
o b. function
H+ pumped across plasma membrane
produces gradient
H+ diffuse through the motor
creates force that turns hook
turns filament
IV. Internal
A. simpler than euk.

B. lack a membrane-bound organelles

no nucleus
no mitochrondria
no chloroplasts
C. nucleoid
is a region of cytoplasm( defined area)
where the chromosome is located
is comprised of DNA
there is single chromosome
o haploid (n)
D. plasmid smaller rings of DNA
replicate independently
only have few genes
o genes tend to be nonessential
E. Cytoplasm
there are ribosomes
storage granules
enzymes
F. Plasma Membrane
often extensively folded

 increases surface area

lot of enzymes embedded here
o enzymes for cellular respiration here
o for photosynthesis as well
V. Reproduction
binary fission: splits into 2
o under optimal conditions(vary from specie to specie)
o can generate every 1-3 hrs. Fig. 12.12
VI. Genetic diversity in prok.
A. rapid reproduction and mutation
1. recallo in sexually reproducing pops.
o genetic variation results from meiosis and fertilization
2. ex: E. coli-in human intestines
o a. binary fission
produces mostly genetically identical cells
but errors do occurs
probability of mutation in gene is 1 in 10 million chance per
cell division
among 2x1010 new cells produced in an intestine
means 2000 cells w/ mutation in that gene
E. coli has ~4300 genes

 about 9 million mutations per day per host

o b. mutation is rare per gene basis(Fig. 27.10)
but genetic variation increase quickly in large pops. that
have short generation times
B. Genetic recombination
1.means combining of DNA from 2 different sources
o a. euk. meiosis and fertilization
o b. prok.
capable of transformation
transduction
conjugation
o c. horizontal gene transfer
is the movement of genes from an individual of one species
to an individual of another species
2. transformation
o when prok. cell takes up foreign DNA from surroundings
o Griffin's experiment (fig. 16.2)
3. Transduction(Fig . 27.11)
o phages transfer prok. genes from one host cell to another
o during phage replication, a fragment of host DNA is accidentally
packaged into the new viral particles
4. Conjugation
o process where genetic material is transferred between prok. cells
o DNA transfer is one way

o Donor cell attaches to recipient by pilus, pulls it close, and

transfers DNA
o F factor-(fertility)-piece of DNA that is required for production of
pili
o can be a segment of bacterial chromosome or plasmid
o Fig. 27.12
The F Factor as a plasmid
cells contains the F plasmid will function as DNA donors
cells w/out will function as DNA recipients
F Factor is transferable during conjugation
Fig. 27.13a
VII. Nutition and metabolic Table 27.1
A. E sources
o phototrophs
o chemotrophs
B. C sources
o autotrophs-CO2
o heterotrophs-organic
C. oxygen needs and tolerences
o 1. obligate aerobes-must have O2
o 2. obligate anaerobes- poisoned by it
ex: take in nitrate ions or sulfate ions that act as electron
acceptors
o 3. Facultative Anaerobes

 can ferment
or use oxygen
flexible in environemtn
D. Nitrogen Metabolism
o N-cycle: fig. 55.14
o ex: N fixation
N2 NO3VIII. Prokaryotic Diversity
A. molecular evidence-rRNA sequence
2 domains of prok.
significant amount of gene transfer
o movement of gentic material
o played key role in prokaryotic evolution
o Archaea are more closely related to euk. than to the bacteria
B. Bacteria- Fig. 27.16
1. Proteobacteria
o huge diverse group
o a. alpha
Rhizobium- lives in nodules on roots of legumes
capable of nitrogen fixation
o b. beta

 Nitrosomonas-soil bacteria
able to NH4NO2
o c. gamma
Salmonella
o d. delta
Bellovibrio
predatory bacterium
o e. epsilon
Helicobacter pylori
stomach ulcers
2. Chlamydias
o a. parasites
o b. C. trachamatis
cause of blindness
in US, most common sexually transmitted disease
3. spriocheteso a. Treponema pallidum-syphilis
o b. Barrelia burgdorfen-Lyme
4. Cyanobacteria
o a. gram negative
o b. photoautotrophs
o chloroplasts
5. Gram positive
o ex: Bacillus auturacis-authrax
C. botulism
C. Archaea 1. extremophilies
2. ex: extreme halophilies
"" thermophilies
3. methanogens
o release methane
o strict anaerobes
o ex: swamps and marshes