Bio 109 Study Guide Exam Questions
and Answers 100% Pass
positive phototaxis - ✔✔movement of an organism toward light
negative phototaxis - ✔✔movement away from light
endospore - ✔✔A thick-walled protective spore that forms inside a bacterial cell and
resists harsh conditions.
binary fission - ✔✔A form of asexual reproduction in which one cell divides to form
two identical cells.
phototroph - ✔✔an organism that gets its energy from sunlight
chemotroph - ✔✔microbes that gain energy from chemical compounds
autotroph - ✔✔An organism that makes its own food
heterotroph - ✔✔organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a
consumer
obligate aerobe - ✔✔organism that requires a constant supply of oxygen in order to live
facultative anaerobe - ✔✔organism that can survive with or without oxygen
obligate anaerobe - ✔✔organism that cannot live in the presence of oxygen
bioremediation - ✔✔The use of living organisms to detoxify and restore polluted and
degraded ecosystems
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,What are the two main branches of prokaryotic evolution? - ✔✔Bacteria and Archae
What are the components of a prokaryotic cell wall? - ✔✔gram positive/gram-negative
How does the cell wall of a Gram-positive bacterium differ from that of a gram-negative
bacterium? - ✔✔Positive: thick peptidoglycan layer
Negative: have an outer membrane
What functions are served by the cell wall of prokaryotes? - ✔✔-maintains shape and
helps protect cell from hypotonic solutions
Why are Gram-negative pathogens generally more threatening than Gram-positive
ones? - ✔✔they have lipopolysaccharides which are toxic/outer membrane protects
against hot defenses/greater resistance to antibiotics
How does penicillin inhibit prokaryotic growth? - ✔✔inhibits cross-link formation,
which interferes with cell wall function.
What is a capsule and what is its function? - ✔✔A hydrated matrix of carbohydrates
and proteins that surrounds a bacterium, resisting phagocytosis, desiccation, and
antibiotics
What are fimbriae and what do they do? - ✔✔hair-like appendages that allow
prokaryotes to stick to their substrate or to one another.
What are the major differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes? - ✔✔pro-simpler
and have diff ribosomes/Bacteria and Archae
Eu-complex/plants/animals/fungi
What is a plasmid and what is its function? - ✔✔Small circular DNA which is used for
antibiotic resistance
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, How do the antibiotics erythromycin and tetracycline inhibit bacterial growth? -
✔✔Erythromycin and tetracycline are both antibiotics that inhibit bacterial growth, but
they do so through different mechanisms by targeting bacterial ribosomes, which are
responsible for protein synthesis.
What is horizontal gene transfer? - ✔✔transfer of genes between cells of the same
generation
What are the three mechanisms prokaryotes use to transfer genes between individuals?
- ✔✔Transformation, Transduction and conjugation
Distinguish the following four major modes of nutrition observed in
prokaryotes,photoautotrophs, chemoautotrophs, photoheterotrophs,
chemoheterotrophs. - ✔✔Photoautotrophs: Use light as an energy source and CO₂ as a
carbon source (e.g., cyanobacteria).
Chemoautotrophs: Obtain energy from inorganic chemicals (e.g., hydrogen, sulfur) and
use CO₂ as a carbon source (e.g., nitrifying bacteria).
Photoheterotrophs: Use light as an energy source but obtain carbon from organic
compounds (e.g., certain purple non-sulfur bacteria).
Chemoheterotrophs: Obtain both energy and carbon from organic compounds (e.g.,
most bacteria, including pathogens like E. coli).
What advantage does metabolic cooperation confer - ✔✔Metabolic cooperation refers to
the collaboration between different prokaryotic cells, or even between different species,
to share resources and carry out metabolic processes more efficiently. This cooperation
allows cells to perform tasks that would be difficult or impossible individually. The
advantages of metabolic cooperation include:
What is a biofilm? - ✔✔a thin, slimy film of bacteria that adheres to a surface.
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
and Answers 100% Pass
positive phototaxis - ✔✔movement of an organism toward light
negative phototaxis - ✔✔movement away from light
endospore - ✔✔A thick-walled protective spore that forms inside a bacterial cell and
resists harsh conditions.
binary fission - ✔✔A form of asexual reproduction in which one cell divides to form
two identical cells.
phototroph - ✔✔an organism that gets its energy from sunlight
chemotroph - ✔✔microbes that gain energy from chemical compounds
autotroph - ✔✔An organism that makes its own food
heterotroph - ✔✔organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a
consumer
obligate aerobe - ✔✔organism that requires a constant supply of oxygen in order to live
facultative anaerobe - ✔✔organism that can survive with or without oxygen
obligate anaerobe - ✔✔organism that cannot live in the presence of oxygen
bioremediation - ✔✔The use of living organisms to detoxify and restore polluted and
degraded ecosystems
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,What are the two main branches of prokaryotic evolution? - ✔✔Bacteria and Archae
What are the components of a prokaryotic cell wall? - ✔✔gram positive/gram-negative
How does the cell wall of a Gram-positive bacterium differ from that of a gram-negative
bacterium? - ✔✔Positive: thick peptidoglycan layer
Negative: have an outer membrane
What functions are served by the cell wall of prokaryotes? - ✔✔-maintains shape and
helps protect cell from hypotonic solutions
Why are Gram-negative pathogens generally more threatening than Gram-positive
ones? - ✔✔they have lipopolysaccharides which are toxic/outer membrane protects
against hot defenses/greater resistance to antibiotics
How does penicillin inhibit prokaryotic growth? - ✔✔inhibits cross-link formation,
which interferes with cell wall function.
What is a capsule and what is its function? - ✔✔A hydrated matrix of carbohydrates
and proteins that surrounds a bacterium, resisting phagocytosis, desiccation, and
antibiotics
What are fimbriae and what do they do? - ✔✔hair-like appendages that allow
prokaryotes to stick to their substrate or to one another.
What are the major differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes? - ✔✔pro-simpler
and have diff ribosomes/Bacteria and Archae
Eu-complex/plants/animals/fungi
What is a plasmid and what is its function? - ✔✔Small circular DNA which is used for
antibiotic resistance
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, How do the antibiotics erythromycin and tetracycline inhibit bacterial growth? -
✔✔Erythromycin and tetracycline are both antibiotics that inhibit bacterial growth, but
they do so through different mechanisms by targeting bacterial ribosomes, which are
responsible for protein synthesis.
What is horizontal gene transfer? - ✔✔transfer of genes between cells of the same
generation
What are the three mechanisms prokaryotes use to transfer genes between individuals?
- ✔✔Transformation, Transduction and conjugation
Distinguish the following four major modes of nutrition observed in
prokaryotes,photoautotrophs, chemoautotrophs, photoheterotrophs,
chemoheterotrophs. - ✔✔Photoautotrophs: Use light as an energy source and CO₂ as a
carbon source (e.g., cyanobacteria).
Chemoautotrophs: Obtain energy from inorganic chemicals (e.g., hydrogen, sulfur) and
use CO₂ as a carbon source (e.g., nitrifying bacteria).
Photoheterotrophs: Use light as an energy source but obtain carbon from organic
compounds (e.g., certain purple non-sulfur bacteria).
Chemoheterotrophs: Obtain both energy and carbon from organic compounds (e.g.,
most bacteria, including pathogens like E. coli).
What advantage does metabolic cooperation confer - ✔✔Metabolic cooperation refers to
the collaboration between different prokaryotic cells, or even between different species,
to share resources and carry out metabolic processes more efficiently. This cooperation
allows cells to perform tasks that would be difficult or impossible individually. The
advantages of metabolic cooperation include:
What is a biofilm? - ✔✔a thin, slimy film of bacteria that adheres to a surface.
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
