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Viruses and Diseases -in a lytic cycle, newly formed viruses burst out of the host cell, usually killing the host cell -in multicellular hosts, the new viruses can infect neighbouring cells which causes damage to the host -viruses that go through the lysogenic cycle, the effects may not be immediate due to the fact that the viral DNA might stay dormant when entering the host cell -retroviruses are RNA viruses that insert a DNA copy of its genome into the host cell in order to replicate -at any time, the provirus can separate from the host chromosome and undergo the lytic cycle Patterns of Disease -replication strategies of viruses help explain certain patterns of disease For example, the herpes simplex virus causes cold sores in humans; these cold sores appear and disappear on infected people throughout their life. They appear when the viral cycle destroys cells and disappear when the virus is in its provirus stage, when it is dormant. Prions: Non-viral Disease-causing Agents -a prion is an infectious particle that causes damage to nerve cells in the brain and consists mostly or entirely of a single protein -they are normally found in the body -are the only known disease-causing agent that lack RNA or DNA -they become disease-causing agents when they convert from their normal form to their more harmful form which consists of the same chemical composition, but with a different molecular shape
-both bacteria and Archaea house small DNA loops called plasmids which contains genes that differ from the ones in the chromosomes -they are transferred through conjugation -bacteria form hard walled structures called endospores to protect and store genetic material Classifying and Identifying Bacteria and Archaea -the following characteristics can be used to classify and identify bacteria and Archaea: -size and shape -nutrition -movement -genetic components -gram staining (separates bacteria into two major divisions based on the cell walls response to staining) Bacteria, Human Health and Environment -some bacteria will harm human health -bacteria are decomposers; breaks down organic molecules and releases carbon, nitrogen and sulfur -supports nutrient cycles -cyanobacteria are major producers of oxygen due to photosynthesis -some Archaea have enzymes that are special to humans -they can withstand extreme temperatures, salinity and acidity -biotechnologists use some of the enzymes for various procedures in DNA research
-sexual reproduction preformed by an organism with both a haploid and a diploid stage of life -in the case of sexual reproduction, the timing of the production of the egg and sperm differs as the organism may be a haploid or a diploid -sexual reproduction is not possible without meiosis, which is unique to eukaryotes -meiosis is the type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes as the parent cell
Acrasiomycota -cellular slime moulds -differ from myxomycota in many ways; only contain one nucleus -live as separate cells and behave like amoebas until food is scares, then they join together as a slime mould Oomycota -filamentous water moulds -consumes dead organic matter -some are parasitic and draw nutrients out of their hosts by extending fungus like threads into their tissues and release digestive enzymes Plant-like Protists -includes diatoms, dinoflagellates and euglenoids -contain photosynthetic pigments in their chloroplasts, which contain chlorophyll There are three phyla: Chrysophyta -also called phytoplankton -free-living aquatic diatoms that are an important source of food for many marine organisms -all contain a rigid cell wall with an outer layer of silica -can produce both sexually and asexually Pyrrophyta -also called dinoflagellates (two flagellas) -flagellas produce a spinning movement during locomotion -with plentiful food, they reproduce quickly and cause great algal bloom -a ride tide is a coastal phenomenon in which dinoflagellates that contain red pigments are so concentrated that the seawater has a distinct red colour -are photosynthetic -mutualistic relationship with coral Euglenophyta -mostly freshwater species -autotrophs (can produce own food) in sunlight -contains chloroplasts for making food by day -heterotrophs in the dark -absorbs nutrients at night