MICROBIAL GENETICS

-A sturdy of the transfer of information between the biological entities.

-It defines and analyzes heredity.

EXPLORES:

1. The transmission of biological properties like traits from parent to offspring

2. The expression and variation of those traits

3. The structure and function of genetic material

4. How this genetic material changes

GENE

-Basic unit of heredity responsible   for a given trait 

-It is a segment of DNA that encodes in its nucleotide sequence information for a specific physiologic
property. So this is a section of a DNA molecule whose sequence of building blocks specify a sequence of
amino acids in a particular protein.

-site on the chromosome that provides information for a certain cell function.

THREE BASIC CLASSES:

1. Structural genes which code for protein

2. Genes that code for RNA

3. Regulatory genes-control gene expression or gene transfer

-The sum of all these types of genes constitutes the organism’s distinctive genetic makeup or genotype;
the expression of the genotype creates traits known as phenotype, example of phenotypic trait is the
pregnantation of the colony of that certain bacteria.

GENOME

-The totality of genetic material of an organism

-Often consists of a single chromosome that carries all of the essential genes and one or more
varieties of plasmids that generally carry non-essential gene

-Contains a unique arrangement of genes that define its appearance, metabolic activities and
pattern of reproduction 
 -genomes of cells composed exclusively of DNA , genomes of viruses composed either of DNA or
RNA

CHROMOSOME

-discrete cellular structure composed of neatly packaged elongated DNA molecule

-molecular structure that contains all the genes and many non-essential genes of the organism
carried on a single, long piece of circular double-stranded DNA. 

PLASMIDS

-also carry genetic information

-are small DNA circles

-they have basic genetic information, they replicate independent from the chromosomes

-they contain genes for segregation into daughter cells at cell division, they carry genes that
encode toxins or proteins that remote the transfer of the plasmid to other cells but usually do not
encode genes that are essential for cell growth or replication.

-also contain mobile DNA sequences or transposons (or the jumping genes) that can move bet. Plasmid
and bet, plasmid and chromosomes

-Non-chromosomal sites that contains DNA

-Contain their own origin of replication, thus, can be maintained in a host thru subsequent generations
w/out being integrated into the chromosome

- Encode genetic information for such properties as resistance to antibiotics, production of toxins,
reduced sensitivity to mutagens, etc

- Resistance to toxic metal ions