BIOL 2004 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Horizontal Gene Transfer, Mycelium, Firmicutes
Document Summary
Prokaryote "species: animals and plants; ideal of biological species concept based on interfertility. In prokaryotes, no true sexual process: must apply different definitions, naming prokaryotes based on operational criteria isn"t the best way to categorize. Lactic acid bacteria: aerotolerant anaerobes (do not need oxygen to survive, but are not poisoned by oxygen, usually no respiration, habitats - do well in carbohydrate-rich material. Some remain viable for decades: has a thick cortex of modified peptidoglycan and protein coat. Spore is once again released: not a form of reproduction. Start with one, end with one: actinobacteria, organotrophs, and generally aerobic, abundant in soil, most are filamentous, ex. Filaments often not divided into distinct cells: can branch and extend as mycelium, usually produce thick-walled spores ("arthrospores", resist desiccation, different from endospores. Form by multiple fission: reproductive and function in dispersal. Macrostructure - you can see it with the naked eye.