BIOL 2420: Exam #1 Questions With
Revised Answers
What are the 6 categories of microorganisms? Bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae,
and helminths.
What are the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes? Prokaryotes: Unicellular, lack
a nucleus and cytoplasic organelles, single circu...
What are the 6 categories of microorganisms? Bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, algae,
and helminths.
What are the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes? Prokaryotes: Unicellular, lack
a nucleus and cytoplasic organelles, single circular DNA.
Eukaryotes: Have a nucleus and cytoplamic organelles, multiple linear DNA molecule.
What are the two types of prokaryotes? Bacteria and archaea.
What is the difference between bacteria and archaea? Cell walls, however both lack nuclei.
Bacteria: Cell walls are made of a polysaccharide called peptidoglycan.
Archaea: Cell walls lack peptidoglycan and are made of other polymers.
What are the major characteristics of fungi? Eukaryotic microorganism, so the cells contain a
nucleus made of genetic material surrounded by a membrane. Obtain their food from other
organisms. Cell walls are made of chitin. Relatviely static in relation to movement factors.
Produce both sexually and asexually. Includes molds and yeasts.
What are the two types of fungi and what is different between them? Molds and yeasts.
Molds: Typically unicelluar, grow as long filaments and intertwine to make up the body of a
mold, reproduce both sexually and asexually.
Yeasts: Unicellular and oval or round, reproduce asexually by budding, which is when a
daughter cell grows off of the mother cell.
What are the major characteristics of protozoa? Single-celled eukaryotes, lack a cell wall.
Animal-like protists because of their nutritional needs and cell structure. Live freely in water or
sometimes in animal hosts where they may cause disease. Most are capable of locomotion by
pseudopodia, cilia, and flagella.
What are the three types of locomotion? Pseudopodia, cilia, flagella.
Pseudopodia: Extensions of a cell that flow in the direction of travel.
Cilia: Numerous short protrusions of a cell that beat rhythmically to move the protozoan in its
environment.
Flagella: Extension of the cell but are fewer and longer than cilia.
What are the key characteristics of algae? Unicellular or multicellular photosynthetic protists,
which means they make their own food from CO2 and H2O using energy from the sunlight.
Categorized based on pigmentation, stoage, products, and composition of their cell walls.
What are helminths and what are their characteristics? Microogranisms that are parasitic
worms. Multicellular, not a true microbe because most adult worms are not microscopic.
Considered part of microbiology because most identification/diagnosis is through a microscope.
Includes cestodes, nematodes, and trematodes.
What are viruses and what are their characteristics? Only microbe that remained hidden from
early scientists because they microscope was not invented until 1932. Much smaller than the
smallest prokaryote. Acellular, meaning they are not composed of cells. Obligatory parasites that
are composed of small amounts of genetic material, DNA or RNA, and surrounded by a protein
coat.
What are the four processes that define life? Growth: Increase in size for living things.
Reproduction: Increase in number, when organisms are producing more organisms that are
organized like themselves.
Responsiveness: Ability to respond to environmental stimuli, the ability for organisms to change
themselves in reaction to changing conditions.
Metabolism: Sum of all chemical reactions within an organism and the ability of organisms to
take in nutrients from elsewhere and use these nutrients to provide the energy and structures
needed to grow.
What is the key characteristic that defines prokaryotes? Lack of nuclei.
What is the key characteristic that define eukaryotes? Having a nucelus.
What are the two types of glycocalyces and how are they different from one another?
Capsule and slime layer.
Capsule: Glycocalyx made of repeating units of organic chemicals, firmly attached to the cell
surface.
Slime layer: Loose attachment, water soluble glycocalyx.
What is the function of flagella? What are the three main components? The ability to move.
Made of filament, hook, and basal body.
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