Chapter 27

1. List unique characteristics that distinguish archaea from bacteria.
2. Describe the three-domain system of classification and explain how it differs from previous systems.
3. Using a diagram or micrograph, distinguish among the three most common shapes of prokaryotes.
4. Describe the structure and functions of prokaryotic cell walls.
5. Distinguish between the structure and staining properties of gram-positive and gram negative bacteria.
6. Explain why disease-causing gram-negative bacterial species are generally more pathogenic than disease-causing gram-positive bacteria.
7. Describe three mechanisms motile bacteria use to move.
8. Explain how prokaryotic flagella work and why they are not considered to be homologous to eukaryotic flagella.
9. Indicate where photosynthesis and cellular respiration take place in prokaryotic cells.
10. Explain how organization of the prokaryotic genome differs from that in eukaryotic cells.
11. Explain what is meant by geometric growth.
12. List the sources of genetic variation in prokaryotes and indicate which one is the major source.
13. Distinguish between autotrophs and heterotrophs.
14. Describe four modes of bacterial nutrition and give examples of each.
15. Distinguish among obligate aerobes, facultative anaerobes and obligate anaerobes.
16. Describe, with supporting evidence, plausible scenarios for the evolution of metabolic diversity of prokaryotes.
17. Explain how molecular systematics has been used in developing a classification of prokaryotes.
18. List the three main groups of archaea, describe distinguishing features among the groups and give examples of each.
19. List the major groups of bacteria, describe their mode of nutrition, some characteristic features and representative examples.
20. Explain how endospores are formed and why endospore-forming bacteria are important to the food-canning industry.
21. Explain how the presence of E. coli in public water supplies can be used as an indicator of water quality.
22. State which organism is responsible for the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States.
23. Describe how mycoplasmas are unique from other prokaryotes.
24. Explain why all life on earth depends upon the metabolic diversity of prokaryotes.
25. Distinguish among mutualism, commensalism and parasitism.
26. List Koch's postulates that are used to substantiate a specific pathogen as the cause of a disease.
27. Distinguish between exotoxins and endotoxins.
28. Describe how humans exploit the metabolic diversity of prokaryotes for scientific and commercial purposes.
29. Describe how Streptomyces can be used commercially.