Textbook Question
What is the difference between growth and reproduction?
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Ch. 3 - Cell Structure and Function
Bauman6th EditionMicrobiology with Diseases by TaxonomyISBN: 9780134832302
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - A Brief History of Microbiology31
- Ch. 2 - The Chemistry of Microbiology28
- Ch. 3 - Cell Structure and Function39
- Ch. 4 - Microscopy, Staining, and Classification25
- Ch. 5 - Microbial Metabolism51
- Ch. 6 - Microbial Nutrition and Growth37
- Ch. 7 - Microbial Genetics51
- Ch. 8 - Recombinant DNA Technology21
- Ch. 9 - Controlling Microbial Growth in the Environment36
- Ch. 10 - Controlling Microbial Growth in the Body: Antimicrobial Drugs21
- Ch. 11 - Characterizing and Classifying Prokaryotes29
- Ch. 12 - Characterizing and Classifying Eukaryotes34
- Ch. 13 - Characterizing and Classifying Viruses, Viroids, and Prions23
- Ch. 14 - Infection, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology35
- Ch. 15 - Innate Immunity34
- Ch. 16 - Adaptive Immunity21
- Ch. 17 - Immunization and Immune Testing29
- Ch. 18 - Immune Disorders22
- Ch. 19 - Pathogenic Gram-Positive Bacteria25
- Ch. 20 - Pathogenic Gram-Negative Cocci and Bacilli28
- Ch. 21 - Rickettsias, Chlamydias, Spirochetes, and Vibrios25
- Ch. 22 - Pathogenic Fungi47
- Ch. 23 - Parasitic Protozoa, Helminths, and Arthropod Vectors44
- Ch. 24 - Pathogenic DNA Viruses23
- Ch. 25 - Pathogenic RNA Viruses30
- Ch. 26 - Applied and Industrial Microbiology29
- Ch. 27 - Microbial Ecology and Microbiomes22
Bauman6th EditionMicrobiology with Diseases by TaxonomyISBN: 9780134832302Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 3, Problem 8
Which of the following is not a function of a glycocalyx?
a. It forms pseudopods for faster mobility of an organism.
b. It can protect a bacterial cell from drying out.
c. It hides a bacterial cell from other cells.
d. It allows a bacterium to stick to a host.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand what a glycocalyx is. The glycocalyx is a gelatinous, sticky substance surrounding the outside of some bacterial cells, composed mainly of polysaccharides and sometimes proteins.
Step 2: Review the known functions of the glycocalyx. It helps bacteria adhere to surfaces (including host tissues), protects against desiccation (drying out), and can help evade the host immune system by hiding the bacterial cell.
Step 3: Analyze each option in the question: Option a suggests the glycocalyx forms pseudopods for mobility, which is a function typically associated with eukaryotic cells, not bacteria or their glycocalyx.
Step 4: Compare the other options (b, c, d) with known functions of the glycocalyx. These options align with its protective and adhesive roles.
Step 5: Conclude that the function not associated with the glycocalyx is forming pseudopods for faster mobility, as this is unrelated to the glycocalyx structure or function.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Glycocalyx Structure and Function
The glycocalyx is a sticky, gelatinous layer surrounding some bacterial cells, composed mainly of polysaccharides. It serves to protect the cell from desiccation, helps bacteria adhere to surfaces, and can shield them from immune detection by hiding antigenic sites.
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The Glycocalyx: Capsules & Slime Layers
Bacterial Motility Mechanisms
Bacteria move using structures like flagella or by gliding, but not by forming pseudopods. Pseudopods are extensions of the cytoplasm used by some eukaryotic cells, such as amoebae, for movement and engulfing particles, which is unrelated to bacterial glycocalyx.
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Role of Glycocalyx in Immune Evasion and Adhesion
The glycocalyx can mask bacterial surface antigens, helping evade host immune responses. It also facilitates adhesion to host tissues, which is critical for colonization and infection, making it a key factor in bacterial pathogenicity.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Differentiate among pili, fimbriae, and cilia, using sketches and descriptive labels.
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Textbook Question
Bacterial flagella are __________ .
a. anchored to the cell by a basal body
b. composed of hami
c. surrounded by an extension of the cytoplasmic membrane
d. composed of tubulin in hollow microtubules in a "9 + 2" arrangement
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Textbook Question
Compare bacterial cells and algal cells, giving at least four similarities and four differences.
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Textbook Question
Contrast a cell of Streptococcus pyogenes (a bacterium) with the unicellular protozoan Entamoeba histolytica, listing at least eight differences.
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Textbook Question
Which of the following statements is true?
a. The cell walls of bacteria are composed of peptidoglycan.
b. Peptidoglycan is a fatty acid.
c. Gram-positive bacterial walls have a relatively thin layer of peptidoglycan anchored to the cytoplasmic membrane by teichoic acids.
d. Peptidoglycan is found mainly in the cell walls of fungi, algae, and plants.