LS1

Lecture 10
October 14, 2016
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Know terms that are repeated throughout the chapter and course
o Homologous forms
o Phylogeny
o Different forms of natural selection
o Genetic drift

ProkaryotesBacteria & Archaea

- Only recently have scientists identified archaea as different groups
o There is still some controversy
o Currently, most of the evidence supports the idea that eukarya
and archaea are more closely related
- Prokaryotes are mostly unicellular
o Asexual
o Meiosis only occurs in eukaryotes, not prokaryotes
o Asexual reproduction in the prokaryotes
o No membrane-bound nuclei or organelles
o DNA is a center mass that is floating around in prokaryotes, not
membrane-enclosed
o Eukaryotes have only been seen recently in the fossil record
o Prokaryotes have existed almost everywhere scientists have
looked for
They are able to survive in very extreme conditions
Deep evolutionary history and are able to fill almost every
niche in the world
Most dominant life-forms in terms of volume
Much more diverse than any other group
- Without organisms in the soil, there would be no decomposition in the
planet, nor would there be any recycling
- Diversity in prokaryotes
o Found almost everywhere
o Anoxic mud hot springs, salt flats, temps over 120 C, deep sea
vents, etc.
o Genetic diversity
Bacterial transformation
Transduction
This can happen between eukaryotic organisms as
well
Conjugation
Prokaryotic sex
Transfer of DNA between organisms

o Usually plasmid DNA

o Metabolic Diversity
Phototrophs
Light feeders
Chemoorganotrophs
Organic feeders
Chemolithotrops
Rock feeders
Autotrophs are able to fix carbon through metabolic
processes such as photosynthesis
Heterotrophs need to get their carbon from other sources
Phototrophs get ATP from sunlight
Chemotrophs get it from chemicals, which may come from
other organic matter
o Prokaryotes are the only group that able to feed on all these
sources, and their abilities to feed on the diverse sources of
carbon makes them incredibly unique
Cellular Respiration
o Aerobic-utilizes oxygen
An oxygenated environment
o Anaerobic-Does not utilize oxygen
A no oxygen environment
Archaea
o Commonly called extremophiles
Thermophilic
Hyperthermophilic
Halophilic
Salt loving
Acidophilic
o Different cell wall composition
o DNA is highly coiled
o Unique lipids in their cell membranes
o These organisms have somehow evolved the ability to thrive and
proliferate in otherwise dangerous places
Usually harmful prokaryotes are talked about regularly
o A very small percent of prokaryotes (pathogens) cause human
disease
o Babies given antibiotics usually experience killing off the
beneficial microflora
So these individuals grow to have many chronic diseases
and obesity
o Prokaryotes actually help humans in many ways
Bioremediation
Wastewater Treatment

Bacteria are put into waste water, then the bacteria

eat up all the organic matter
Many microbes are inherited from the mother during the
birth process via the vaginal canal
o Many antibiotics come from bacteria
Penicillin comes from a fungal antibiotic
Many organisms produce antibiotics, or beneficial bacteria
to destroy competing bacteria
Prokaryotes change the chemistry of the planetthe rise of oxygen!
o Evolution of photosynthesis brought about gaseous oxygen (98%
of all oxygen in the atmosphere)
The basis of most life on Earth!
o Took 2 billion years before oxygen started to accumulate in
atmosphere
Oxygen was toxic to early anaerobic life
o Cyanobacteria
Blue-green algae are bacteria, not algae
Produce a good amount of the worlds oxygen
Evolution of animals or multicellular organisms coincided
with a spike in oxygen
o Soil bacteria
Outnumber all other soil organisms
Take part in almost all decomposition
Vital chemical reactions
They play a huge part in the nitrogen cycle
Most nitrogen is in the atmosphere
Humans are not able to fix nitrogen from the
atmosphere
Without these organisms, humans would not be able
to get nitrogen
These organisms form a symbiotic relationship with
legumes