Question 1

What are bacteria?

Accepted Answer

A type of single-celled organism which have cell walls, but no organelles and no organized nucleus

(some, but not all, cause disease)

Question 2

What are plasmids?

Accepted Answer

Genetic structures in cells that can replicate independently of the main chromosomes

(many bacteria contain plasmids; useful in genetic engineering)

Question 3

How do bacteria reproduce?

Accepted Answer

Asexually, using binary fission where the cell replicates its DNA and splits in half

Question 4

What is bacterial transformation?

Accepted Answer

A process where bacteria take up foreign DNA from the surrounding environment

(a nonvirulent (doesn't cause disease) strain of bacteria can pick up the instructions for how to become infectious from a virulent strain, even if that virulent strain has been killed)

Question 5

What is a bacteriophage/phage?

Accepted Answer

A virus that infects bacteria and reproduces inside of them

Uses a syringe-like mechanism for firing DNA through the membrane and into the bacteria (transduction)

Question 6

What is transduction, in genetics?

Accepted Answer

The process of a virus inserting its DNA into a cell

(bacteriophages insert their DNA into bacteria using transduction)

Question 7

What is bacterial conjugation?

Accepted Answer

The transfer of genetic material between bacteria with direct contact

(connected using a sex pilus, which is created by the F plasmid)

Bacteria Genetics, AP Biology Flashcards