Prokaryotes
Scarlett Barreto

Bacteria

Bacterial Shapes

Coccus

Sperical

Bacillus

Rod-shape

Spirillium

Curved or corkscrew-like spiral

Proteobacteria

Alpha

Associated with Eukaryotic hosts (ex: Rhizobium)

Beta

Nutritionally Diverse

Wide range of aquatic species (ex: Rubrivivax)

Gamma

Includes sulfer bacteria.

Some are pathogens (ex. Salmonella)

Delta

Slime-secreting myxobacteria

Ex: Bdellovibrios- attack other bacteria

Epsilon

Most are pathogenic to humans or other animals

Ex: Campylobacter- causes blood poisoning

Chlamydias

Only survive within animal cells

Gram negative walls

Ex: Chlamydia trachomatis

Spirochetes

helical, gram-negative

Many are free living, others are notorious pathogenic parasites

Ex: Leptospira

Cyanobacteria

Gram-negative photoautotrophs

Some filaments have cells specialized for nitrogen fixation

Ex: Oscillatoria

Gram Positive Bacteria

rival the proteobacteria in diversity

include solitary species

Ex: Streptomyces (Source of many antibiotics)

Reproduction

Asexual

Binary Fission

single prokaryotic cell divides into two, then 4, and so on

Sexual

Transformation

Genotype and possibly the phenotype of prokaryotic cell are altered by the uptake of foreign DNA from its surroundings.

Horizontal Gene Transfer

movement of genes from one organism to another

Conjugation

DNA is transferred between two prokaryotic cells that are temporarily joined.

Transduction

carry prokaryotic genes from one host cell to another

Lifestyles

Extremophiles

Halophiles

an organism that grows in or can tolerate saline conditions

Thermophiles

grows best at higher than normal tempratures

Acidophiles

thrive under highly acidic conditions

Alkalinophiles

survive in alkaline environments

Psychrophiles

can grow in low tempratures

Uses of Prokaryotes

Cloning

Transgenic Plants

Make Plastics

Bioremediation

Bioengineering

Archaea

Euyarchaeota

Thaumarchaeota

Separate deep-branching phylum within archaea

embraces ammonia-oxidizing organisms from different enviroments.

Aigarchaeota

contains microorganisms from terrestrial and subsurface geothermal ecosystems

Crenarchaeota

thermophilic or hyperthermophilic organisms

Korarchaeota

Thermophilic

Nutritional Categories

Energy and Carbon Source

Photoautotroph

Carry our photosynthesis

Chemoautotrophs

Gets energy from the oxidation or inorganic compounds

Chemoheterortrophs

obtain energy by oxidation of electron donors in their environment

Photoheterotrophs

use light for energy, but not carbon dioxide as their sole carbon source

Metabolisim

Obligate Aerobes

requires oxygen to grow

Obligate Anaerobes

Poisoned by Oxygen

Facultative Anaerobes

makes ATP with or without oxygen

Nitrogen Fixers

nitrogen is converted to ammonia

Methanogens

reduces carbon dioxide to methane

Decomposers

decomposes organic material

Ecological Interctions

Biofilm

bacteria in a community that covers a surface

ex: plaque

Symbiosis

interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association.

Mutualism

beneficial to both organisms involved

Commensalism

association between two organism in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit or harm

Parasitism

parasite lives on or in another oranism or host, causing some harm.