1
answer
0
watching
156
views

4. In addition to their use in motility, flagella can also be used to sense when the bacterial cell comes in contact with a surface.

A. How are flagella used in motility? How does a bacterium move toward a nutrient source using flagella?

B. Now it’s time to think at the molecular size and do some visualization. You’re standing on a bacterial cell membrane watching ions flow and flagella turn. All of a sudden, the cell runs into a surface, and the flagella stop turning. What will happen (immediately) to the PMF? Describe two ways the cell (in the next few moments) could compensate for this? As the cell compensates, how will its oxygen consumption be altered? Its ATP production?

C. Instead of the compensations you mentioned above, some bacteria have the ability to produce a special protein that acts to increase the distance between the flagellar rotor and stator so that this distance is much larger than a hydrogen ion. Explain how this protein will affect the PMF and the rotation of the flagella.

For unlimited access to Homework Help, a Homework+ subscription is required.

Trinidad Tremblay
Trinidad TremblayLv2
29 Sep 2019

Unlock all answers

Get 1 free homework help answer.
Already have an account? Log in

Related textbook solutions

Related questions

Weekly leaderboard

Start filling in the gaps now
Log in