VTPB 405 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Extremophile, Prokaryote, Archaea
1 Sep 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Applying knowledge to humans (medicine, agriculture, and other industry) Microorganisms are the oldest form of life, largest mass of living material on earth, live in places unsuitable for other organisms (extremophiles), and allow for other forms of life to survive successfully. Cytoplasmic membrane- barrier that separates the cell from the environment. Cytoplasm- aqueous mixture of macromolecules within the cell. Cell wall- hels with structural strength of the cell. Two types of cells: eukaryotic & prokaryotic cells. Prokaryotes (bacteria & archaea)- no organelles, no nucleus. Eukaryotes (protozoan to humans)- larger, more complex with membrane bound organelles. Genome - a cell"s full complement of genes. The dna for eukaryotic cells is linear while the dna for prokaryotic cells is closed and circular. Prokaryotic cells contain plasmids- small circles of dna distinct from that of a chromosome. These plasmids have some special properties as well. Differentiation- synthesis of new substances that can modify the cell.
