Explain the significance of endospores
What will be an ideal response?
Because an endospore can regenerate the cell that produced it, these bacterial structures are an important survival mechanism for some bacteria, as well as an important method of transmitting diseases caused by these bacteria. For example, because they are hard to destroy, endospores can be a source of diseases that are caused by anaerobic organisms, such as tetanus and botulism, or that are transmitted over long distances and times, such as anthrax. Endospores can also survive for indefinite periods of time; the minimum documented durability of endospores is 34 years, but there is some evidence to suggest that endospores may be able to survive for millions of years. Endospores are this resistant because they have a special protective coating and go through a process called sporulation, in which a copy of the cell's genome is prepared for long-term "storage" inside the endospore. This makes endospores a special challenge in sterilization applications.
Bloom's Taxonomy: Application
Section: General Characteristics of Prokaryotic Organisms
Learning Outcome: 11.2
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Why do we have storage macromolecules, such as fats, in our bodies?
A. Macromolecules, such as fats, are a convenient way to store kinetic energy. B. We can break down these macromolecules to provide energy for the endergonic reactions in our bodies. C. Breaking down macromolecules, such as fats, is an endergonic process. D. Human cells can directly capture the energy of sunlight through photosynthesis and store it as macromolecules such as fats.
Words such as did, mom, and pop have something in common with the fundamental tool of recombinant DNA technology. In the context of recombinant DNA technology, which term would be used to describe such words?
A) insertion B) prototrophic C) palindromic D) lysogenic E) conjugation
What limits the frequency of the action potentials?
A. Refractory period B. Spike amplitude C. Chloride ions D. Nodes of Ranvier
During fermentation, yeast cells convert pyruvate to ethanol and CO2. Fermentation also occurs in human muscle cells when oxygen is depleted. In the case of muscle cells, what are the by-product(s) of the fermentation of pyruvate?
A) oxygen and ATP B) ethanol and CO2 C) lactic acid D) ATP and NADH E) sugars and proteins