NEU Microbiology Spring 2011 Lec 5 – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers
question
In what process is ATP generated using substrate level phosphorylation?
answer

Glyocolysis uses substrate-level phosphorylation. It phosphorylyses glucose into various substrates and splits it off to produce 2 ATPs through various steps due to electron gradients and electrons that are left over during the process

question
How many molecules of ATP are produced through glycolysis?
answer

2 molecules are produced. Through the entire process anywhere from 38-40 molecules of ATP can be produced but within glycolysis only 2 are produced

question
What is the first step in glycolysis?
answer

Glucose is converted into glucose-6-phosphate (a phosphate group is attached to the site where the carboxylic acid group normally goes)

question
What is the last step in glycolysis?
answer
Phosphoenolpyruvate looses its phosphate group and one of the 2 bonds that formerly went to the CH2 group now becomes a double bond with the oxygen and the CH2 group picks up a hydrogen atom to become a CH3 group. The 2 oxygens on the other end maintain their resonance (this resonance then goes on to initiate the citric acid cycle)
question
Why are the fermentation processes necessary in the absence of respiration?
answer

Without fermentation processes there would simply not be any ATP produced!

question
What molecule is fed into the TCA cycle (also called the citric acid cycle)?
answer

Pyruvate is fed into the system. The system works so that way the last pyruvate that goes through the system is primed to help the next incoming pyruvate through the process and then once that new pyruvate goes through the process the old pyruvate goes on to become useful to further energy production

question
What is the best (most efficient) final electron acceptor?
answer

Oxygen works as the best final electron acceptor due to various reasons

question
Why are iron-sulfur clusters used in the electron transport chain?
answer

Their reduction potential can vary; this makes them very versatile in regards to their use in the electron transport chain

question
What is different about the second complex in the electron transport chain?
answer

The second complex completely bypasses the first complex and changes succinate (a product from the citric acid cycle) to fumarate. Less hydrogens are contributed to the proton motive force in this case but it still gets hydrogens across

question
What is an acidophile?
answer

An acidophile is an organism that grows best at low pH levels, typically below 6

question
What is an aerobe?
answer

An aerobe is an organism that can use oxygen in respiration (some require oxygen ex. humans and pretty much every animal out there)

question
What is an aerotolerant anaerobe?
answer

An aerotolerant anaerobe is a microorganism that is unable to respire oxygen but whose grwoth is unaffected by oxygen

question
What is an alkaliphile?
answer

An alkaliphile is an organisms that has a growth pH optimum of 9 or higher

question
What is an anaerobe?
answer

An anaerobe is an organism that con't use oxygen in respiration and whose growth is typically inhibited by the presence of oxygen

question
What is autolysis?
answer

Autolysis is the spontaneous cell lysis usually due to the activity of lytic proteins called autolysins

question
What is a batch culture?
answer

A batch culture is a closed-system microbial culture of fixed volume

question
What is binary fission?
answer

Binary fission is the cell division following enlargement of a cell to twice its minimum size

question
What is a biofilm?
answer

A biofilm is an attached polysaccharide matrix containing bacterial cells

question
What are cardinal temperatures?
answer

Cardinal temperatures are the minimum, maximum and optimum growth temperatures for a given organism

question
What is a chemostat?
answer

A chemostat is a device that allows for the continuous culture of microorganisms with independent control of both growth rate and cell number

question
What is a compatible solute?
answer

A compatible solute is a molecule that is accumulated in the cytoplasm of a cell for adjustment of water activity but that does not inhibit biochemical processes

question
What is a divisome?
answer

A divisome is a xomplex of proteins that directs cell division processes in prokaryotes

question
What is exponential growth?
answer

Exponential growth is the growth of a microbial population in which cell numbers double within a specific time interval

question
What is an extreme halophile?
answer

An extreme halophile is a microorganism that requires very large amounts of salt (NaCl), usually greater than 10% and, in some cases, close to complete saturation for growth

question
What is an extremophile?
answer

An extremophile is an organism that grows potimally under one or more chemical or physical extremes such as high or low temperature or pH

question
What is a facultative organism?
answer

A facultative organism is an organism that, with respect to oxygen, can grow in either its absence or presence

question
What is the FtsZ protein and what does it do?
answer

The FtsZ protein is a protein that forms a ring along the mid-cell division plane to initiate cell division

question
What is generation time?
answer

Generation time is the time required for a population of microbial cells to double

question
What is a halophile?
answer

A halophile is typically referred to as a microorganism that requires NaCl to grow but other various salts can be used in this process

question
What is a halotolerant microorganism?
answer

A halotolerant microorganism is a microorganism that doesn't require NaCl to grow but is able to grow in the presence of salt and, in some cases, substantial levels of salt

question
What is a hyperthermaphile?
answer

A hyperthermaphile is a prokaryote that has a growth temperature optimum of 80 degrees Celsius or greater

question
What is a mesophile?
answer

A mesophile is an organism that grows best at temperatures between 20 and 45 degrees Celsius

question
What is a microaerophile?
answer

A microaerophile is an aerobic organism that can grow only when oxygen tensions are reduced from that present in the air

question
What is an obligate anaerobe?
answer

An obligate anaerobe is an organsism that can't grow in the presence of oxygen

question
What is an osmophile?
answer

An osmophile is an organism that grows best in the presence of high level of solute, typically a sugar

question
What is pH?
answer

pH is the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution

question
What is a psychrophile?
answer

A psychrophile is an organism with a growth temperature optimum of 15 degrees Celsius or lower and a maximum growth temperature below 20 degrees Celsius

question
What is a plate count?
answer

A plate count is a viable counting method where the number of colonies on a plate is used as a measure of all numbers

question
What is a psychrotolerant microorganism?
answer

A psychrotolerant microorganism is a microorganism that is capable of growing at low temperatures but which has an optimum above 20 derees Celsius

question
What is a thermophile?
answer

A thermophile is an organism whose growth temperature optimum lies between 45 and 80 degrees Celsius

question
What is transpeptidation?
answer

Transpeptidation is the formation of peptide cross-links between muramic acid residues in peptidoglycan synthesis

question
What is water activity?
answer

Water activity is the ratio of the vapor pressure of air in equilibrium with a solution to that of pure water

question
What is a xerophile?
answer

A xerophile is an organism that is able to live (or that lives best) in very dry environments

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New