Bacteria Characteristics and Nutrition Quiz

What is the genetic material present in bacteria?

How do some bacteria obtain their food?

What is the method of reproduction in bacteria when conditions are favorable?

Which process involves some bacteria using chemical energy to produce food?

What is the term for bacteria that break down dead organisms and absorb nutrients?

Under what conditions can bacteria be stimulated to reproduce in a laboratory setting?

What role do autotrophic bacteria play in an ecosystem?

Which type of bacteria feeds on dead animals and breaks down dead organisms to release nutrients back to the environment?

How does tuberculosis typically spread from one person to another?

What is the purpose of performing X-ray tests on individuals suspected of having tuberculosis?

Which process involves genetically engineering bacteria to produce human insulin?

What happens if a patient with tuberculosis does not complete the full duration of antibiotic medication?

Characteristics of Bacteria

Bacteria are unicellular, prokaryotic, and carry out all life processes on their own.
DNA is present in strands bundled together called a nucleoid.

Nutrition of Bacteria

Autotrophic bacteria have chlorophyll and photosynthesize or use chemical energy to produce food by chemosynthesis.
Some bacteria absorb food from other organisms, while others are parasites that live within other living things.
Many bacteria are decomposers, breaking down dead organisms and absorbing the necessary nutrients.

Reproduction of Bacteria

Bacteria reproduce by dividing into two in a process similar to mitosis, called binary fission.
Each bacterial cell produces genetically identical offspring.
Favourable conditions for reproduction include correct temperature, sufficient food, water, and space.

Biological Importance of Bacteria

Autotrophic bacteria are producers that manufacture their own food, starting the food chain.
Saprotrophic bacteria act as decomposers, breaking down dead organisms to release nutrients back into the environment.
Pathogenic bacteria cause disease and death in other organisms, helping to balance ecosystem populations.
Symbiotic bacteria form mutualistic relationships with other organisms, benefiting both parties.

Tuberculosis

Caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which attacks and destroys lung tissue.
Spread through airborne droplets from sneezing or coughing.
Diagnosed using X-rays to detect destroyed lung tissue and TB skin tests to detect latent TB.

Treatment of Tuberculosis

Antibiotic medication must be taken for the full duration to prevent relapse and drug resistance.

Genetic Engineering of Bacteria

Human insulin-producing gene is removed from a healthy pancreatic cell and inserted into a bacterial plasmid.
The recombined DNA is reinserted into a bacterial cell, which reproduces and produces insulin.
The harvested insulin is ready for distribution as medication.

Test your knowledge on the characteristics and nutrition of bacteria. Learn about their unicellular nature, prokaryotic structure, DNA organization, and various methods of obtaining nutrition such as photosynthesis, chemosynthesis, absorption, and parasitism.