Biomolecules & Cells BIOL10002




Lectures 1-9 Cell Biology

Geoff McFadden, Rm 211 Botany





gim@unimelb.edu.au



8344 4272
 Lecture 2
An introduction to the prokaryotes,
features, importance and cell
biology. What is a nucleus?
 Glossary words

Domain Archaea, Domain Bacteria, Domain Eukarya, bacteria, prokaryotic,

peptidoglycan, circular chromosome, nucleoid, ribosome, flagella, nucleus,
organelles, chromosomes histone chromatin, nuclear envelope, nuclear pores
Life depends on prokaryotes

• Archaea allow herbivores to break down

the sugars in plants
• Bacteria in our intestines help to make
essential vitamins
• Harmless Bacteria in our skin protect us
from attack by other invaders
 Gut microbiome

>30,000 species of bacteria in the human gut (streptococci, staphylococci, enterococci, enterobacteria,
mycobacteria, spirochetes, mycoplasma, corynebacteria, clostridia, or lactobacilli)
 You are a
metaorganism
comprised of numerous
organisms that interact,
mostly cooperatively, to
create a whole.
Indeed, without gut
bacteria, you would be
very sick and not
develop properly. If
your gut flora is
abnormal, you may
become ill in many
ways including mental
illness and suffer
degenerate
neurological illnesses.
Prokaryotes are used in food production.

Fermented foods
- produced via the action of microbes
yoghurt, cheese,
wine, beer, vinegar,
sauerkraut, salami,
tempeh, kimchi,
soy sauce …

Silage for stock feed

Life depends on prokaryotes

+ = ?
Life depends on prokaryotes
• More than 50% of the earth’s free oxygen
is generated by bacteria
• About 70% of biologically available
nitrogen is processed by bacteria

Oxygen-producing Cyanobacteria Stromatolites

Spirulina spp Western Australia 3.5 Ga
 Some diseases caused
by members of Domain
Bacteria
Legionnaire’s, typhus, Lyme disease, TB,
gangrene, leprosy, meningitis, pneumonia,
cholera, dysentery, syphilis, gonorrhoea,
anthrax

Domain Archaea
are not known to
cause any diseases
 Bacteria can cause disease

impetigo
pharyngitis Streptococcus cells

http://www.db.od.mah.se/car/data/cariesser.html

cellulitis Dental caries

Cutaneous (skin-borne) B. anthracis cells in
Anthrax Monkey Spleen
You’re from France - wow!
Say, you have lovely eyes.

Be a
Bacterium
& see the
world

Hey everyone. We’re

going to France!
 Prokaryotic cells
• Usually microscopic (1-10µm)
• DNA is single, circular chromosome
(‘nucleoid’)
• No proteins attached to DNA (Bacteria)
• Proteins (‘histones’) attached to DNA
(Archaea)
• Wall (peptidoglycan), similar in Bacteria &
Archaea
Domain Bacteria

Domain
Archaea
Typical prokaryotic cell
Prokaryotic DNA is single, circular chromosome
 Bacteria cells
• Cells typically have a wall (peptidoglycan)
• One surrounding membrane (Gram +)
• Two surrounding membranes (Gram -)

Christian Gram
Gram negative - two membranes & wall
Gram positive - one membrane & wall

OM = outer membrane
P = peptidoglycan wall
CM = cytoplasmic membrane
 Ribosomes
• All cells have ribosomes
• Small machines composed of numerous
proteins and several RNAs
• Site of translation
• Take mRNA sequence and ‘translate’ it to a
protein sequence
• Prokaryotic ribosomes are small (17-23nm)
• Eukaryotic ribosomes are larger (25-30nm)
 Ribosomes

“Maybe you should write

that spot down!”
 Ribosomes

• Bacterial ribosomes
are different to
eukaryotic ribosomes

• Sensitive to drugs like

chloramphenicol,
erythromycin and
tetracycline -
antibiotics
Ribosomes
 Prokaryotic flagellum
• Motility appendage
• Long thin filament
• Corkscrew action
• One of only two rotating shaft designs in
biology
• Composed of flagellin protein
• Extracellular (not inside the cell membrane)
• 6,000 rpm (similar to car engine) but often lot
slower (~200 rpm) due to drag & energy loss
Bacteria with flagella
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1298895216779168700#
Spirochaete bacteria swimming
 Prokaryotic division
• Prokaryotes divide by ‘binary fission’
• Constricting ring pinches parent cell into two
 Prokaryotes vs
Eukaryotes
• Prokaryotes are microscopic
• Eukaryotes can be large and
multicellular
• Prokaryotes lack a nucleus
• Eukaryotic cells have a
nucleus
 Size of eukaryote cells

← animal embryo on pin

blood cells in syringe →
100 µm
Prokaryotes vs Eukaryotes
(no nucleus) (with nucleus)
Prokaryotes = Bacteria & Archaea
 Features of Eukaryotic Cells not seen in Prokaryotes

• Division of labour in the cytoplasm.

• Nucleus & histones
• Endomembrane system.
• Endoplasmic Reticulum. (ER).
• Golgi complex.
• Cytoskeleton.
• Microtubules.
• Microfilaments.
• Intermediate filaments.
• Motor proteins & movement
 Features of the eukaryotic nucleus
• Surrounded by a double membrane or nuclear
envelope
• Presence of nuclear (annular) pores (75 nm in
diameter, text wrongly says 9nm)
• DNA in long, linear strands covered with
histones = chromatin
• Different organisms have different numbers of
chromosomes
– Humans 46, Arabidopsis (cress )10
• Nucleolus = subregion of nucleus where
ribosomal genes are transcribed
• RNA transcribed from DNA leaves nucleus via
pores and goes out into the cell to be translated
Drew
Berry
Eukaryotic Nucleus
EM of nucleus

Image of a frozen
nucleus cracked
in half