Origins of Life outline

• Evolving life (Chapter 31)

• Cells as basic unit of life (see Chapter 4)
• Bacteria (Chapter 34)
– Archaea & Eubacteria
• Importance of bacteria
• Structure, growth and reproduction

CONCEPTS - prokaryote vs eukaryote, phototroph vs chemotroph,

autotroph vs heterotroph, anaerobic vs aerobic

Evolution of life

• Bacteria - earliest living organisms

• Evolved 3.5 billion yrs ago
• Environment back then was
– hot and salty
– little oxygen i.e. anaerobic conditions
– high UV radiation
• Two sources of energy: sun or
geothermal
• Produced incredible diversity of life

Bacteria are incredibly successful

• there are lots of them and they

are everywhere!
• 90% of cells in our body are
bacterial
• number on our skin
• 100 000 per cm2
• total area of skin = 2 m2 (2 x
104 cm2)
= 2 x 104 x 105
= 2 x 109
i.e. 1/3 human population!

Bacterial cells on the point of a pin

1
 The cell - basic unit of life
• self-replicating system
• surrounded by membrane
• nucleic acid (DNA) as genetic material
• Many different types of cell...
– Prokaryote
– Eukaryote

Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote

Prokaryote
• Simple structure
• Lack of internal compartments
• Single chromosome

Eukaryote
• Complex structure
• Compartments bounded by membranes
• Nucleus
• Separate chromosomes

Three super-kingdoms (domains)

Knox Fig 31.16

2
 Phylogenetic tree

Knox Fig 34.3

Archaea
• lack peptido-glycan cell wall
• often live in extreme environments
Methanosarcina in cow gut

Methanogens
• Anaerobes
• Produce methane gas
• Live in digestive tracts of animals

Archaea
Extreme halophiles
• Live in saturated salt
• Many are
photosynthetic

Extreme thermophiles
• Live in hot springs
• Often live in acidic
environments
(acidophiles)

3
 Eubacteria
Most abundant bacteria
Important in the biosphere
• Many are primary
producers (fix carbon via
photosynthesis)
• Most numerous
organisms in the soil Knox 33-4
• Most important nitrogen
fixing organisms, often
via symbiotic
associations
e.g. rhizobial bacteria
in root nodules
Anabaena
(cyanobacteria)

Bacterial Pathogens

Only some are disease-causing agents

• Most bacteria are not harmful
• Many have positive relationship with hosts – e.g. human
gut microbe E. coli
• But many are pathogenic and cause serious disease: e.g.
– Cholera
– streptococcal infections

Make a list of 10
diseases caused by
bacteria -Table 33-1

4
 Bacterial toxins
Pathogenic bacteria can produce exotoxins, e.g.
• Diphtheria toxin
• Botulism toxin (Botox)
• Often the toxin, not the bacterial infection, is most
dangerous
Endotoxins:
• Not secreted but are components of the cell wall
• Affect host when released from dead bacteria
• Resistant to heating
• Fever causing

Commercial Bacteria (Table 33.1)

Bacteria used in many commercial processes
• Lactic acid bacteria convert lactic acid to simpler monomers. Used in
yogurt & acidophilous milk production

• Bacteria used for making

– Cheese & Yoghurt
– Meat Preservation (i.e.salami)
– Vinegar
– pharmaceutical agents
– biomedical agents & biological molecules

• Used to reduce pollution – as bioremediation agents

5
 Epulospiscium Paramecium
(prokaryote) (eukaryote)
Bacterial Size
Normally ...
• prokaryotes 1-5 µm diam.
• eukaryotes 10-100µm
• Some exceptions:

Knox Fig 34.1

µm
µm

Structure of bacteria
The cell surface is generally covered by a cell wall
• maintains shape & offers protection
• gram-positive & gram negative (Box 34.2)
• Bacteria secrete sticky substances
• some produce pili - attachment

Knox Fig 34.2c

Diversity of Form & Function

rods (bacilli)

spirals (spirilla)

Fig. 34.2

spheres (cocci)

6
 Many bacteria are motile
• Move by flagella (singular
= flagellum)
• Bacterial flagella are rigid
• Very different from
eukaryotic flagella/cilia

Knox 34.2f

Growth & Reproduction

Reproduction is primarily asexual
by binary fission
• no mitosis or meiosis in
bacteria
• Bacteria multiply rapidly
doubling time of 25 minutes
How many cells after 10h?
• some bacteria form spores to
get through harsh times -
upon rehydration return to
binary fission

Anthrax endospore

Nutrition - all organisms require source of C

& energy (Fig 34.7)
C source Energy source Examples

Photo- CO2 light Most plants, some

autotrophs prokaryotes (e.g.
cyanobacteria), & protists
Chemo- CO2 oxidising certain prokaryotes - deep sea
autotrophs inorganic vent archaea
substrates
(NH3, H2 S)
Photo- organic light Purple nonsulphur bacteria
heterotrophs molecules

Chemo- organic organic many prokaryotes,protists,

heterotrophs molecules molecules fungi, animals (even some
plants)

7
 Nutrition & Respiration
Respiration
• obligate aerobes - require O2 for energy metabolism
• facultative anaerobes - can use O2 & fermentation
• obligate anaerobes - O2 is toxic, only anaerobic respiration

Bacteria can use almost any organic molecule for ‘food’.

They are...
• vital members of ecosystems
• bacteria (& fungi) are the main decomposers (recycle
chemical elements in ecosystems)
• important in the cycling of N, S & C (e.g. some can fix
atmospheric N2 )
Many bacteria are symbiotic

Summary
Cells are either prokaryotic or eukaryotic

Bacteria
• simple cell structure
• earliest living organisms
• incredibly diverse (habitats, cell shape, cell wall, mobility,
nutrition)
• important in diseases, nutrient cycles, medicine & industry

Next lecture - Protists