MicrobiologyLesson 1 of 2 in the course Prokaryotic Diversity

Chlamydia, Spirochetes, CFB Bacteria, Planctomycetes, and Phototrophs

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces two groups of nonproteobacteria gram-negative bacteria: Chlamydia and the spirochetes. Their distinctive lifestyles and structures help explain how they cause disease and how microbiologists study them.

Members of the genus Chlamydia are gram-negative, obligate intracellular pathogens. They must live and reproduce within host cells. Their ability to resist cellular defenses helps them spread between hosts.

All flashcards

Elementary body
A resistant, metabolically inactive Chlamydia form that can transmit infection and enter host cells.
Darkfield microscopy
A method that makes thin spirochetes visible against a dark background.
Planctomycete swarmer cell
A motile cell that detaches as a bud and can later become sessile.
Rhodospirillum
A purple nonsulfur phototroph that can use organic compounds or hydrogen as electron donors.
Cyanobacterial heterocyst
A specialized cell in which some cyanobacteria fix nitrogen.

Quiz questions

  1. What happens to an elementary body after it enters a host cell?Answer: It develops into an active form that grows and reproduces inside the cell.
  2. How do axial filaments help spirochetes move?Answer: They wrap around the cell and propel its spiral-shaped body.
  3. Which genera are included in the CFB group?Answer: Cytophaga, Fusobacterium, and Bacteroides
  4. How do Planctomycetes reproduce, according to the described life cycle?Answer: A smaller bud forms and detaches as a new cell.
  5. What distinguishes oxygenic from anoxygenic photosynthesis?Answer: Oxygenic photosynthesis releases oxygen; anoxygenic photosynthesis does not.

Based on Microbiology by Nina Parker, Mark Schneegurt, Anh-Hue Thi Tu, Philip Lister, Brian M. Forster (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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