BIOL 1011 Study Guide - Comprehensive Midterm Guide: Gram Staining, Alveolate, Rhizaria
5 Oct 2016
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Study guide: chapter 16 microbial life: prokaryotes & protists. Prokaryotic cells are smaller than eukaryotic cells yet their collective biomass of prokaryotes is at least 10 times that of all eukaryotes. They are found everywhere: can survive in more extreme conditions than eukaryotes. There are several hundred different species and genetic strains of prokaryotes. Commonly look at harmful prokaryotes even though there are more harmless/beneficial prokaryotes: beneficial prokaryotes on/in our body. Some intestinal bacteria supply essential vitamins and enable us to extract nutrition from food molecules that we can"t otherwise digest. Many of the bacteria that live on our skin perform helpful housekeeping functions such as decomposing dead skin cells. Other guards against pathogenic intruders: beneficial prokaryotes in environment. Prokaryotes in soil help to decompose dead organisms and other organic waste material, which return vital chemical elements to the environment. Life without prokaryotes: the chemical cycles that sustain life would halt and, all forms of eukaryotic life would be doomed.
