BIOL 2111 Chapter Notes - Chapter 18: Bacterial Conjugation, Hfr Cell, Auxotrophy
13 Nov 2016
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Bacteria are termed prokaryotes because they lack the membrane bounded nucleus found in eukaryotes. Various species release oxygen into the atmosphere; recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other elements; and digest human and other animal wastes as well as neutralize pesticides and other pollutants, which would otherwise eventually poison air, soil, and water. 2 key features of bacteria are their astounding ability to proliferate and their enormous diversity. Some bacteria live independently on land, others float freely in aquatic environments, and still others live as parasites or symbionts inside other life forms. All lack defined nuclear membrane as well as membrane bounded organelles, such as the mitochondria and chloroplasts found in eukaryotic cells. Bacterial chromosomes fold to form a dense nucleoid body that appears to exclude ribosomes, which function in the surrounding cytoplasm. In most species of bacteria, the membrane is supported by a cell wall composed of carbohydrate and peptide polymers.
