CAMPBELL

BIOLOGY TENTH
EDITION

Reece • Urry • Cain • Wasserman • Minorsky • Jackson

27
Bacteria and
Archaea

Lecture Presentation by
Nicole Tunbridge and
Kathleen Fitzpatrick

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Masters of Adaptation

 Utah’s Great Salt Lake can reach a salt

concentration of 32%
 Its pink color comes from living prokaryotes

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.1

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Prokaryotes thrive almost everywhere, including
places too acidic, salty, cold, or hot for most other
organisms
 Most prokaryotes are microscopic, but what they
lack in size they make up for in numbers
 There are more in a handful of fertile soil than the
number of people who have ever lived
 Prokaryotes are divided into two domains: bacteria
and archaea

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Concept 27.1: Structural and functional
adaptations contribute to prokaryotic success
 Earth’s first organisms were likely prokaryotes
 Most prokaryotes are unicellular, although some
species form colonies
 Most prokaryotic cells are 0.5–5 µm, much smaller
than the 10–100 µm of many eukaryotic cells
 Prokaryotic cells have a variety of shapes
 The three most common shapes are spheres
(cocci), rods (bacilli), and spirals

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.2

1 µm
1 µm

(a) Spherical (b) Rod-shaped 3 µm

(c) Spiral

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.2a

1 µm

(a) Spherical

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.2b

1 µm

(b) Rod-shaped

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.2c

3 µm

(c) Spiral

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Cell-Surface Structures

 An important feature of nearly all prokaryotic cells

is their cell wall, which maintains cell shape,
protects the cell, and prevents it from bursting in a
hypotonic environment
 Eukaryote cell walls are made of cellulose or chitin
 Bacterial cell walls contain peptidoglycan, a
network of sugar polymers cross-linked by
polypeptides

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Archaea contain polysaccharides and proteins but
lack peptidoglycan
 Scientists use the Gram stain to classify bacteria
by cell wall composition
 Gram-positive bacteria have simpler walls with a
large amount of peptidoglycan
 Gram-negative bacteria have less peptidoglycan
and an outer membrane that can be toxic

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.3
(a) Gram-positive bacteria (b) Gram-negative
bacteria

Carbohydrate portion
of lipopolysaccharide

Peptido- Outer
Cell
glycan Cell membrane
wall
layer wall Peptido-
Plasma glycan layer
membrane Plasma membrane

Peptidoglycan traps crystal violet, Crystal violet is easily rinsed away, revealing
which masks the safranin dye. the red safranin dye.

Gram-positive Gram-negative
bacteria bacteria

10 µm
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
Figure 27.3a

(a) Gram-positive bacteria

Peptido-
Cell
glycan
wall
layer
Plasma
membrane

Peptidoglycan traps crystal violet,

which masks the safranin dye.

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.3b

(b) Gram-negative
bacteria

Carbohydrate portion
of lipopolysaccharide

Outer
Cell membrane
wall Peptido-
glycan layer
Plasma membrane

Crystal violet is easily rinsed away, revealing

the red safranin dye.

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.3c

Gram-positive Gram-negative
bacteria bacteria

10 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Many antibiotics target peptidoglycan and damage
bacterial cell walls
 Gram-negative bacteria are more likely to be
antibiotic resistant
 A polysaccharide or protein layer called a capsule
covers many prokaryotes

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.4

Bacterial
Bacterial capsule
cell wall

Tonsil
cell

200 nm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Many prokaryotes form metabolically inactive
endospores, which can remain viable in harsh
conditions for centuries

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.5

Endospore
Coat

0.3 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Some prokaryotes have fimbriae, which allow
them to stick to their substrate or other individuals
in a colony
 Pili (or sex pili) are longer than fimbriae and allow
prokaryotes to exchange DNA

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.6

Fimbriae

1 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Motility

 In a heterogeneous environment, many bacteria

exhibit taxis, the ability to move toward or away
from a stimulus
 Chemotaxis is the movement toward or away from
a chemical stimulus

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Most motile bacteria propel themselves by flagella
scattered about the surface or concentrated at one
or both ends
 Flagella of bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes are
composed of different proteins and likely evolved
independently

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.7

Flagellum

Filament 20 nm

Hook
Cell wall Motor

Plasma Peptidoglycan
membrane Rod layer

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.7a

20 nm

Hook

Motor

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Video: Prokaryotic Flagella

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Evolutionary Origins of Bacterial Flagella

 Bacterial flagella are composed of a motor, hook,

and filament
 Many of the flagella’s proteins are modified
versions of proteins that perform other tasks in
bacteria
 Flagella likely evolved as existing proteins were
added to an ancestral secretory system
 This is an example of exaptation, where existing
structures take on new functions through descent
with modification
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
Internal Organization and DNA

 Prokaryotic cells usually lack complex

compartmentalization
 Some prokaryotes do have specialized
membranes that perform metabolic functions
 These are usually infoldings of the plasma
membrane

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.8

0.2 µm 1 µm

Respiratory
membrane

Thylakoid
membranes

(a) Aerobic prokaryote (b) Photosynthetic prokaryote

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.8a

0.2 µm

Respiratory
membrane

(a) Aerobic prokaryote

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.8b

1 µm

Thylakoid
membranes

(b) Photosynthetic prokaryote

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  The prokaryotic genome has less DNA than the
eukaryotic genome
 Most of the genome consists of a circular
chromosome
 The chromosome is not surrounded by a
membrane; it is located in the nucleoid region
 Some species of bacteria also have smaller rings
of DNA called plasmids

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.9

Chromosome

Plasmids

1 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  There are some differences between prokaryotes
and eukaryotes in DNA replication, transcription,
and translation
 These allow people to use some antibiotics to
inhibit bacterial growth without harming
themselves

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Reproduction

 Prokaryotes reproduce quickly by binary fission

and can divide every 1–3 hours
 Key features of prokaryotic reproduction
 They are small
 They reproduce by binary fission
 They have short generation times

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Concept 27.2: Rapid reproduction, mutation,
and genetic recombination promote genetic
diversity in prokaryotes
 Prokaryotes have considerable genetic variation
 Three factors contribute to this genetic diversity
 Rapid reproduction
 Mutation
 Genetic recombination

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Rapid Reproduction and Mutation

 Prokaryotes reproduce by binary fission, and

offspring cells are generally identical
 Mutation rates during binary fission are low, but
because of rapid reproduction, mutations can
accumulate rapidly in a population
 Their short generation time allows prokaryotes to
evolve quickly
 Prokaryotes are not “primitive” but are highly
evolved

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.10
Experiment Daily serial transfer
0.1 mL
(population sample)

Old tube New tube

(discarded (9.9 mL
after growth
transfer) medium)
Results
Experimental
1.8
Population growth rate

populations (average)
(relative to ancestral

1.6
population)

1.4

1.2
Ancestral population
1.0

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000

Generation
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
Genetic Recombination

 Genetic recombination, the combining of DNA

from two sources, contributes to diversity
 Prokaryotic DNA from different individuals can be
brought together by transformation, transduction,
and conjugation
 Movement of genes among individuals from
different species is called horizontal gene transfer

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Transformation and Transduction

 A prokaryotic cell can take up and incorporate

foreign DNA from the surrounding environment in
a process called transformation
 Transduction is the movement of genes between
bacteria by bacteriophages (viruses that infect
bacteria)

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.11-1
Phage DNA
1 Phage infects bacterial
donor cell with A+ and B+ A+ B+
alleles.

Donor cell

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.11-2
Phage DNA
1 Phage infects bacterial
donor cell with A+ and B+ A+ B+
alleles.

Donor cell
2 Phage DNA is replicated
and proteins synthesized. A+ B+

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.11-3
Phage DNA
1 Phage infects bacterial
donor cell with A+ and B+ A+ B+
alleles.

Donor cell
2 Phage DNA is replicated
and proteins synthesized. A+ B+

3 Fragment of DNA with A+

allele is packaged within
a phage capsid.
A+

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.11-4
Phage DNA
1 Phage infects bacterial
donor cell with A+ and B+ A+ B+
alleles.

Donor cell
2 Phage DNA is replicated
and proteins synthesized. A+ B+

3 Fragment of DNA with A+

allele is packaged within
a phage capsid.
A+
Crossing
4 Phage with A allele
+
over
infects bacterial recipient A+
cell. A− B−

Recipient cell

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.11-5
Phage DNA
1 Phage infects bacterial
donor cell with A+ and B+ A+ B+
alleles.

Donor cell
2 Phage DNA is replicated
and proteins synthesized. A+ B+

3 Fragment of DNA with A+

allele is packaged within
a phage capsid.
A+
Crossing
4 Phage with A allele
+
over
infects bacterial recipient A+
cell. A− B−

Recombinant Recipient cell

5 Incorporation of phage cell
DNA creates recombinant
cell with genotype A+ B−. A+ B−

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Conjugation and Plasmids

 Conjugation is the process where genetic

material is transferred between prokaryotic cells
 In bacteria, the DNA transfer is one way
 A donor cell attaches to a recipient by a pilus, pulls
it closer, and transfers DNA
 A piece of DNA called the F factor is required for
the production of pili

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.12

Sex pilus

1 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 The F Factor as a Plasmid
 Cells containing the F plasmid function as DNA
donors during conjugation
 Cells without the F factor function as DNA
recipients during conjugation
 The F factor is transferable during conjugation

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.13

Bacterial
F plasmid chromosome
F+ cell F+ cell
(donor)

Mating
bridge
F− cell
(recipient) Bacterial F+ cell
chromosome
(a) Conjugation and transfer of an F plasmid

Hfr cell
(donor)
A+ A+ A+

A+ A− A+
F factor
A− A− A+ A− Recombinand
F cell−
F− bacterium
(recipient)
(b) Conjugation and transfer of part of an Hfr bacterial chromosome,
resulting in recombination

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.13a-1

Bacterial
F plasmid chromosome
F+ cell
(donor)

Mating
bridge
F− cell
(recipient) Bacterial
chromosome
1 One strand of
F+ cell plasmid
DNA breaks at
arrowhead.

(a) Conjugation and transfer of an F plasmid

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.13a-2

Bacterial
F plasmid chromosome
F+ cell
(donor)

Mating
bridge
F− cell
(recipient) Bacterial
chromosome
1 One strand of 2 Broken strand
F+ cell plasmid peels off and
DNA breaks at enters F− cell.
arrowhead.

(a) Conjugation and transfer of an F plasmid

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.13a-3

Bacterial
F plasmid chromosome
F+ cell
(donor)

Mating
bridge
F− cell
(recipient) Bacterial
chromosome
1 One strand of 2 Broken strand 3 Donor and
F+ cell plasmid peels off and recipient cells
DNA breaks at enters F− cell. synthesize
arrowhead. complementary
DNA strands.
(a) Conjugation and transfer of an F plasmid

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.13a-4

Bacterial
F plasmid chromosome
F+ cell F+ cell
(donor)

Mating
bridge
F− cell
(recipient) Bacterial F+ cell
chromosome
1 One strand of 2 Broken strand 3 Donor and 4 Recipient
F+ cell plasmid peels off and recipient cells cell is now a
DNA breaks at enters F− cell. synthesize recombinant
arrowhead. complementary F+ cell.
DNA strands.
(a) Conjugation and transfer of an F plasmid

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.13b-1

Hfr cell
(donor)
A+

F factor
A−
F cell−

(recipient)
1 An Hfr cell
forms a
mating bridge
with an F− cell.

(b) Conjugation and transfer of part of an Hfr bacterial chromosome,

resulting in recombination

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.13b-2

Hfr cell
(donor)
A+ A+

F factor A+

A− A−
F cell−

(recipient)
1 An Hfr cell 2 A single strand
forms a of the F factor
mating bridge breaks and
with an F− cell. begins to move
through the
bridge.

(b) Conjugation and transfer of part of an Hfr bacterial chromosome,

resulting in recombination

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.13b-3

Hfr cell
(donor)
A+ A+ A+

F factor A+

A− A− A+ A−
F cell−

(recipient)
1 An Hfr cell 2 A single strand 3 Crossing over
forms a of the F factor can result in
mating bridge breaks and exchange of
with an F− cell. begins to move homologous
through the genes.
bridge.

(b) Conjugation and transfer of part of an Hfr bacterial chromosome,

resulting in recombination

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.13b-4

Hfr cell
(donor)
A+ A+ A+

A+ A− A+
F factor
A− A− A+ A− Recombinand
F cell−
F− bacterium
(recipient)
1 An Hfr cell 2 A single strand 3 Crossing over 4 Enzymes
forms a of the F factor can result in degrade and
mating bridge breaks and exchange of DNA not
with an F− cell. begins to move homologous incorporated.
through the genes. Recipient cell
bridge. is now a
recombinant
F− cell.
(b) Conjugation and transfer of part of an Hfr bacterial chromosome,
resulting in recombination

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 The F Factor in the Chromosome
 A cell with the F factor built into its chromosomes
functions as a donor during conjugation
 The recipient becomes a recombinant bacterium,
with DNA from two different cells

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 R Plasmids and Antibiotic Resistance
 R plasmids carry genes for antibiotic resistance
 Antibiotics kill sensitive bacteria, but not bacteria
with specific R plasmids
 Through natural selection, the fraction of bacteria
with genes for resistance increases in a population
exposed to antibiotics
 Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria are
becoming more common

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Concept 27.3: Diverse nutritional and metabolic
adaptations have evolved in prokaryotes
 Prokaryotes can be categorized by how they
obtain energy and carbon
 Phototrophs obtain energy from light
 Chemotrophs obtain energy from chemicals
 Autotrophs require CO2 as a carbon source
 Heterotrophs require an organic nutrient to make
organic compounds

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Energy and carbon sources are combined to give
four major modes of nutrition
 Photoautotrophy
 Chemoautotrophy
 Photoheterotrophy
 Chemoheterotrophy

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Table 27.1

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

The Role of Oxygen in Metabolism

 Prokaryotic metabolism varies with respect to O 2

 Obligate aerobes require O2 for cellular respiration

 Obligate anaerobes are poisoned by O2 and use

fermentation or anaerobic respiration
 Facultative anaerobes can survive with or
without O2

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Nitrogen Metabolism

 Nitrogen is essential for the production of amino

acids and nucleic acids
 Prokaryotes can metabolize nitrogen in a variety of
ways
 In nitrogen fixation, some prokaryotes convert
atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3)

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Metabolic Cooperation

 Cooperation between prokaryotes allows them to

use environmental resources they could not use
as individual cells
 In the cyanobacterium Anabaena, photosynthetic
cells and nitrogen-fixing cells called heterocysts
(or heterocytes) exchange metabolic products

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.14

Photosynthetic
cells

Heterocyst

20 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Metabolic cooperation occurs between different
prokaryotic species in surface-coating colonies
called biofilms
 Sulfate-consuming bacteria and methane-
consuming bacteria on the ocean floor use each
other’s waste products

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Concept 27.4: Prokaryotes have radiated into a
diverse set of lineages
 Prokaryotes inhabit every environment known to
support life
 Advance in genomics are beginning to reveal the
extent of prokaryotic diversity

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

An Overview of Prokaryotic Diversity

 Genetic analysis lead to the division of

prokaryotes into two domains, Bacteria and
Archaea
 Molecular systematists continue to work on the
phylogeny of prokaryotes

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.15

Eukarya
Domain
Eukaryotes

Korarchaeotes

Domain Archaea
Euryarchaeotes

Crenarchaeotes

UNIVERSAL Nanoarchaeotes
ANCESTOR
Proteobacteria

Domain Bacteria
Chlamydias

Spirochetes

Cyanobacteria

Gram-positive
bacteria
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
  The use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has
allowed for more rapid sequencing of prokaryote
genomes
 A handful of soil may contain 10,000 prokaryotic
species
 Horizontal gene transfer between prokaryotes
obscures the root of the tree of life

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Bacteria

 Bacteria include the vast majority of prokaryotic

species familiar to most people
 Diverse nutritional types are represented among
bacteria

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.UN01

Eukarya
Archaea
Bacteria

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Proteobacteria
 These gram-negative bacteria include
photoautotrophs, chemoautotrophs, and
heterotrophs
 Some are anaerobic, and others aerobic

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16aa

Alpha
Beta
Gamma Proteobacteria
Delta
Epsilon

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Subgroup: Alpha Proteobacteria
 Many species are closely associated with
eukaryotic hosts
 Scientists hypothesize that mitochondria evolved
from aerobic alpha proteobacteria through
endosymbiosis

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16ab

Alpha subgroup
Rhizobium (arrows)
inside a root cell of
a legume (TEM)

2.5 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Example: Rhizobium, which forms root nodules in
legumes and fixes atmospheric N2
 Example: Agrobacterium, which produces tumors
in plants and is used in genetic engineering

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Subgroup: Beta Proteobacteria
 Example: the soil bacterium Nitrosomonas, which
converts NH4+ to NO2–

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16ac

Beta subgroup
Nitrosomonas
(colorized TEM)

1 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Subgroup: Gamma Proteobacteria
 Examples include sulfur bacteria such as
Thiomargarita namibiensis and pathogens such as
Legionella, Salmonella, and Vibrio cholerae
 Escherichia coli resides in the intestines of many
mammals and is not normally pathogenic

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16ad

Gamma subgroup
Thiomargarita
namibiensis containing
sulfur wastes (LM)

200 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Subgroup: Delta Proteobacteria
 Example: the slime-secreting myxobacteria, which
produces drought resistant “myxospores”
 Example: bdellovibrios, which mount high-speed
attacks on other bacteria

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16ae

Delta subgroup
Fruiting bodies of
Chondromyces crocatus,
a myxobacterium (SEM)

300 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Subgroup: Epsilon Proteobacteria
 This group contains many pathogens including
Campylobacter, which causes blood poisoning,
and Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach
ulcers

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16af

Epsilon subgroup
Helicobacter pylori
(colorized TEM)

2 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Chlamydias
 These bacteria are parasites that live within animal
cells
 Chlamydia trachomatis causes blindness and
nongonococcal urethritis by sexual transmission

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16ba

Chlamydias
Chlamydia (arrows) inside an
animal cell (colorized TEM)

2.5 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Spirochetes
 These bacteria are helical heterotrophs
 Some are parasites, including Treponema
pallidum, which causes syphilis, and Borrelia
burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16bb

Spirochetes
Leptospira, a spirochete
(colorized TEM)

5 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Cyanobacteria
 These are photoautotrophs that generate O 2
 Plant chloroplasts likely evolved from
cyanobacteria by the process of endosymbiosis

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16bc

Cyanobacteria
Oscillatoria, a filamentous
cyanobacterium

40 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Video: Cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria)

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Gram-Positive Bacteria
 Gram-positive bacteria include
 Actinomycetes, which decompose soil
 Bacillus anthracis, the cause of anthrax
 Clostridium botulinum, the cause of botulism
 Some Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, which
can be pathogenic
 Mycoplasms, the smallest known cells

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16bd

Gram-positive bacteria
Streptomyces, the source
of many antibiotics (SEM)

5 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16be

Gram-positive bacteria
Hundreds of mycoplasmas
covering a human fibroblast
cell (colorized SEM)

2 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Archaea
 Archaea share certain traits with bacteria and
other traits with eukaryotes

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.UN02

Eukarya
Archaea
Bacteria

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Table 27.2

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Table 27.2a

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Table 27.2b

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Some archaea live in extreme environments and
are called extremophiles
 Extreme halophiles live in highly saline
environments
 Extreme thermophiles thrive in very hot
environments

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.17

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Video: Tube Worms

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Methanogens live in swamps and marshes and
produce methane as a waste product
 Methanogens are strict anaerobes and are
poisoned by O2
 In recent years, genetic prospecting has revealed
many new groups of archaea
 Some of these may offer clues to the early
evolution of life on Earth

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Concept 27.5: Prokaryotes play crucial roles in
the biosphere
 Prokaryotes are so important that if they were to
disappear the prospects for any other life surviving
would be dim

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chemical Recycling

 Prokaryotes play a major role in the recycling of

chemical elements between the living and
nonliving components of ecosystems
 Chemoheterotrophic prokaryotes function as
decomposers, breaking down dead organisms
and waste products
 Prokaryotes can sometimes increase the
availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
for plant growth

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.18

1.0
Uptake of K+ by plants (mg)

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2
Seedlings grow-
ing in the lab
0
No Strain 1 Strain 2 Strain 3
bacteria
Soil treatment

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.18a

Seedlings growing in the lab

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Prokaryotes can also “immobilize” or decrease the
availability of nutrients

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Ecological Interactions

 Symbiosis is an ecological relationship in which

two species live in close contact: a larger host and
smaller symbiont
 Prokaryotes often form symbiotic relationships
with larger organisms

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  In mutualism, both symbiotic organisms benefit
 In commensalism, one organism benefits while
neither harming nor helping the other in any
significant way
 In parasitism, an organism called a parasite
harms but does not kill its host
 Parasites that cause disease are called
pathogens

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.19

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  The ecological communities of hydrothermal vents
depend on chemoautotrophic bacteria for energy

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Concept 27.6: Prokaryotes have both beneficial
and harmful impacts on humans
 Some prokaryotes are human pathogens, but
others have positive interactions with humans

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Mutualistic Bacteria

 Human intestines are home to about 500–1,000

species of bacteria
 Many of these are mutualists and break down food
that is undigested by our intestines

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Pathogenic Bacteria

 Bacteria cause about half of all human diseases

 Some bacterial diseases are transmitted by other
species
 For example, Lyme disease is caused by a
bacterium and carried by ticks

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.20

5 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.20a

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.20b

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.20c

5 µm

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Pathogenic prokaryotes typically cause disease by
releasing exotoxins or endotoxins
 Exotoxins are secreted and cause disease even if
the prokaryotes that produce them are not present
 Endotoxins are released only when bacteria die
and their cell walls break down

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Horizontal gene transfer can spread genes
associated with virulence
 For example, pathogenic strains of E. coli contain
genes that were acquired through transduction

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Prokaryotes in Research and Technology

 Experiments using prokaryotes have led to

important advances in DNA technology
 For example, E. coli is used in gene cloning
 For example, Agrobacterium tumefaciens is used to
produce transgenic plants
 Bacteria can now be used to make natural plastics

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.21

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Prokaryotes are the principal agents in
bioremediation, the use of organisms to remove
pollutants from the environment
 Bacteria can be engineered to produce vitamins,
antibiotics, and hormones

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.22

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

  Bacteria are also being engineered to produce
ethanol from agricultural and municipal waste
biomass, switchgrass, and corn

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.23

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16a

Alpha subgroup Beta subgroup

Alpha
Beta
Gamma Proteo-
Delta bacteria

2.5 µm

1 µm
Epsilon

Rhizobium (arrows) Nitrosomonas

(TEM) (TEM)

Gamma subgroup Delta subgroup Epsilon subgroup

200 µm

300 µm

2 µm
Thiomargarita namibiensis Chondromyces crocatus Helicobacter pylori
(LM) (SEM) (TEM)

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.16b

Chlamydias Spirochetes Cyanobacteria

2.5 µm

40 µm
5 µm
Chlamydia (arrows) Leptospira Oscillatoria
(TEM) (TEM)

Gram-positive bacteria
5 µm

2 µm
Streptomyces Mycoplasmas
(SEM) (SEM)

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.UN03a

Average Percentage of
Soil Treatment Seedlings Afflicted
with Fungal Disease

Disease-suppressive soil 3.0

Soil from margin of field 62
Soil from margin of field + 10% 39
disease-suppressive soil
Disease-suppressive soil heated 31
to 50℃ for 1 hour
Disease-suppressive soil heated 70
to 80℃ for 1 hour

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.UN03b

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.UN04

Fimbriae
Cell wall

Circular
chromosome

Capsule

Sex pilus

Internal
organization

Flagella

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.UN05

Rhizobium strain 1 2 3 4 5 6
Plant mass (g) 0.91 0.06 1.56 1.72 0.14 1.03
Source: J. J. Burdon et al., Variation in the effectiveness of symbiotic asso-
ciations between native rhizobia and temperate Australian Acacia: within
species interactions, Journal of Applied Ecology 36:398–408 (1999).
Note: Without Rhizobium, after 12 weeks, Acacia plants have a mass of
about 0.1 g.

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Figure 27.UN06

© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.