The spiral bacteria are spirilla (singular form is spirillus) and the rod-shaped bacteria are bacilli (singular form is bacillus). The coccus (plural form is cocci) bacteria are spherical and are usually found in clusters or chains. Bacilli have a large surface area that helps them take in nutrients, but they may dry out easily. Cocci…
Introduction The transformation of bacterial cells is a useful experiment to help develop an understanding of transformation by plasmid DNA. This experiment involved four different scenarios of bacterial cells on agar plates. The scenarios were as follows, one plate with plasmid, one without and one plate with ampicillin and plasmid and one with ampicilin and…
Viruses *Viruses and bacteria are present everywhere – in the air, on the ground, in the water, on inanimate objects, and even in and around your body. -Some of these microorganisms are important in nature’s nutrient cycles and in the food and pharmaceutical industries, while others can cause diseases. What is a virus? Virus: a…
All Bacteria have the following characteristics: Unicellular and stick together in colonies Are prokaryotic (no nucleus, vacuoles, mitochondria or chloroplasts) They have a single chromosome in a DNA loop They reproduce asexually by binary fission Live in moist environment and are inactive in dry environments Two groups of Bacteria 1. Archaebacteria – primitive bacteria that…
The materials used in building the bodies of living things are limited to the atoms and molecules that make up this planet. To maintain life on Earth, matter must be recycled. Cycling of Organic Matter Living things are constantly cycling matter through their bodies and in ecosystems; break down organic matter and rebuild it. Organic…
Nitrogen is required by living things to: 1. make proteins, become enzymes and make up the structures of living things 2. make nucleic acids that become DNA, the hereditary material of living things – 80% of the air around us is nitrogen gas (N2) but N2 cannot be used by most living things – N2…
The table below lists the basic general characteristics that are used to differentiate between the different kingdoms. Criteria Kingdom Animals Plants Fungi Protists Archaebacteria Eubacteria Type of cells Eukaryotic Eukaryotic Eukaryotic Eukaryotic Prokaryotic Prokaryotic Cell wall None Yes (cellulose) Yes (chitin) None Yes (peptidoglycan) Yes Cell organization Multicellular Multicellular Multicellular Single celled Single celled Single…
Liver – produces bile -bile emulsifies fats in the small intestine; increases surface area of fat particles Gall Bladder – stores bile between meals – releases bile when food moves into the small intestine Pancreas – manufactures and releases bicarbonate to neutralize acid coming out of the stomach – basic environment inactivates pepsin – releases…
