What type of methods are used in microbial systematics? Why are multiple methods used to characterize and classify microbial species? Be sure to define the methods and describe the general strengths and weaknesses of each type
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: Microbial systematics is polyphasic and uses three types of methods to identify and describe microbial species: (1) phenotypic â€" the observed characteristics of an organism, (2) genotypic â€" the genetic features of an organism, and (3) phylogenetic â€" the evolutionary relationship of an organism to other organisms. Phenotypic methods are important because they describe the important traits of an organism that define the organism's function and impact on humans or the environment. However, many phenotypic traits are not unique to a species, so identifying the huge number of microbial species based only on phenotypic traits is not feasible. Genetic methods complement phenotypic methods and help us quickly characterize both gene content and genetic similarity to other organisms. Lastly, phylogenetic methods help to organize microbial species in a way that is congruent with our understanding of evolution, and thus give both structure and meaning to the taxonomy of microorganisms.
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Which of the following is not true of gene regulation by DNA looping?
A. The precise distance between the regulatory sequence and the promoter is important. B. It can result in gene repression. C. It can result in gene activation. D. It can result in the regulation of a gene even thousands of base pairs away from the regulatory site.
Organelles are __________
A. structures that contain the genetic material. B. membrane-bound compartments of eukaryotic cells. C. the region that contains the DNA in prokaryotic cells. D. the outer, rigid covering of a prokaryotic cell.
A male who inherits an extra X chromosome will have
A. Klinefelter syndrome. B. Turner syndrome. C. Down syndrome. D. Polyploid syndrome. E. Edward syndrome.
Why is carbon ideally suited to be the "backbone" in molecules produced by living organisms? What will be an ideal response?