π―The Cell
TARGETS
| 1. Cells, organelles (e.g., mitochondria and chloroplasts) and all major metabolic pathways evolved from early prokaryotic cells. | Define endosymbiotic theory with respect to mitochondria and chloroplasts. τ° State at least two characteristics that all living cells share (e.g., membrane, DNA, and metabolism). |
τ° Describe the evidence that supports the theory that mitochondria evolved from bacteria. τ° Describe the evidence that supports the theory that chloroplasts evolved from cyanobacteria. τ° Explain why glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the tricarboxylic (Krebs) cycle are so highly conserved in living cells (e.g., 12 essential precursors and energy). |
| 7. Bacteria have unique cell structures that can be targets for antibiotics, immunity and phage infection. | τ° List two structures that both Gram-negative and Gram-positive cells have in common, and provide the function of each. τ° List two structures that are unique to Gram-negative and to Gram-positive cells, and provide the function of each. |
τ° Distinguish between cell envelope structures (e.g., membranes and cell wall, etc.) in Gram- positive and Gram-negative bacteria. τ° Predict whether the mechanism of action for a given antibiotic would affect Gram-positive and/or Gram-negative cells. τ° Design a target for a new drug based on the structure of bacterial cells. τ° Describe how bacterial structures (e.g., peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharides, flagella, etc.) stimulate a non-specific immune response. τ° Explain how antigenic shift can result in resistance to antibiotics, viral infection, and evasion of the immune response. |
| 8. Bacteria and Archaea have specialized structures (e.g., flagella, endospores, and pili) that often confer critical capabilities. | τ° Diagram the structure of a bacterial flagellum. τ° State the function of pili and fimbriae. τ° List the features of endospores that allow them to survive extreme conditions over long periods of time. |
τ° Compare and contrast the structure of cell membranes and cell walls in Bacteria and Archaea. τ° Explain how specialized structures (e.g., pili/fimbriae, capsules, lipopolysaccharides, spores, or flagella) enable a microbe to survive in a given environment. τ° Predict how losing the ability to make a specialized structure (e.g., pili/fimbriae, capsules, lipopolysaccharides, spores, or flagella) might affect survival. τ° Compare and contrast the different cellular transport processes (e.g., facilitated diffusion, ion driven transport/simple transport, ABC transporter, group translocation, etc.) with regard to the proteins involved and the energy source used. |
| 9. While microscopic eukaryotes (for example, fungi, protozoa and algae) carry out some of the same processes as bacteria, many of the cellular properties are fundamentally different. | τ° Identify (model or diagram) major eukaryotic cell structures and explain their associated functions. τ° State two unique structures present in Eukaryotes, but not in Bacteria and Achaea. |
τ° Explain why eukaryotic cells need/have organelles, while bacterial and archaeal cells generally do not. τ° Compare and contrast transcription and/or translation in Eukaryotes vs. Bacteria or Archaea. τ° Explain why it is difficult to develop antifungal drugs. Describe some of the successful cellular targets that have been identified. |
| 12. The interactions of microorganisms among themselves and with their environment are determined by their metabolic abilities (e.g., quorum sensing, oxygen consumption, nitrogen transformations). | τ° Provide two examples of how microbial metabolism alters the surrounding physical environment. τ° Define quorum sensing. |
τ° Give an example of and explain how microbial metabolism is important to a relevant societal issue (e.g., health and disease, bioremediation, agriculture, etc.). τ° Give an example of how quorum sensing is advantageous to bacterial cells in a given environment. τ° Give an example where the waste product of one microorganism serves as an important substrate for another organism (e.g., ammonia-oxidizing bacteria or ammonia-oxidizing archaea and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, hydrogen producers and methanogens, sulfide oxidizers and sulfate reducers, etc.). |
| 21. Most bacteria in nature live in biofilm communities. | τ° Give an example of a beneficial and a detrimental biofilm. τ° List the stages of biofilm formation and maturation. |
τ° Compare and contrast cell structure and function in a biofilm with pelagic cells. τ° Explain how and why biofilm development may differ in different environments. τ° Predict conditions that would favor biofilm formation and where they might be found. τ° Identify the stages of biofilm development that are more susceptible to destruction. τ° Describe differential gene expression in a biofilm. τ° Develop a drug to prevent biofilm formation. τ° Explain the role of biofilms in chronic diseases/infections. |