Bacterial Metabolism and Growth
This term describes the use of oxygen as the final electron acceptor in respiration.
What is aerobic respiration?
This process involves bacteria picking up free DNA from their environment.
What is transformation?
This bacterium, commonly found in hospitals, is known for being resistant to many antibiotics and can cause pneumonia, UTIs, and sepsis.
What is Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
This common staining technique differentiates bacteria into Gram-positive and Gram-negative groups.
What is Gram staining?
This rigid structure outside the plasma membrane gives bacterial cells their shape and protects them from bursting.
What is the cell wall?
This type of bacterial growth pattern occurs when bacteria switch from metabolizing glucose to lactose after a lag period.
What is diauxic growth?
This small, circular DNA molecule, separate from chromosomal DNA, often carries genes for antibiotic resistance.
What is a plasmid?
This type of bacteria is responsible for causing "strep throat" and other infections in the respiratory tract.
What is Streptococcus pyogenes?
This technique, often used for separating bacteria, involves streaking a sample across an agar plate.
What is the streak plate method?
This whip-like structure allows bacteria to move toward nutrients or away from harmful substances.
What is a flagellum?
This type of metabolism allows bacteria to grow by using substances other than oxygen as the final electron acceptor.
What is anaerobic respiration?
This process of genetic exchange requires direct cell-to-cell contact and involves a pilus.
What is conjugation?
This bacterium is transmitted through contaminated food and water and causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.
What is Vibrio cholerae?
This method measures the turbidity of a bacterial culture to estimate cell density.
What is spectrophotometry?
These hair-like appendages allow bacteria to adhere to surfaces and form biofilms.
What are pili or fimbriae?
In the absence of oxygen, some bacteria ferment glucose into this acid, which can be detected in media to differentiate bacteria.
What is lactic acid?
In bacteria, this mechanism allows genes to be transferred via a virus.
What is transduction?
This organism, known for producing a toxin, can cause paralysis and is often associated with improperly canned foods.
What is Clostridium botulinum?
This biochemical test identifies bacteria that produce the enzyme catalase by adding hydrogen peroxide to the sample.
What is the catalase test?
This structure is a dense, protective layer that some bacteria form to avoid immune detection, often increasing their virulence.
What is a capsule?
This pathway allows bacteria to generate energy by breaking down fatty acids, often utilized by pathogens within a host.
What is beta-oxidation?
This type of genetic element can move from one DNA location to another within a genome, sometimes carrying antibiotic resistance genes.
What is a transposon?
Known for its complex life cycle and unique cell wall, this bacterium is responsible for causing tuberculosis.
What is Mycobacterium tuberculosis?
This advanced technique is used to identify bacterial species based on unique protein fingerprints.
What is MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry?
Found in Gram-negative bacteria, this outer membrane component can trigger a strong immune response and is considered an endotoxin.
What is lipopolysaccharide (LPS)?