SBI3C Name: Paulina Jakubiec

Characteristics of Bacteria Worksheet

Big Idea!
Bacteria are microscopic organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
Ideas
Bacteria are usually unicellular prokaryotes.
Bacteria reproduced by binary fission or conjugation.
Bacteria can survive harsh conditions by forming endospores.
New Words
What are endospores?
Endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by some bacteria and archaea in the
phylum Firmicutes.

Part A

Label the cell structures of a typical bacterium in the diagram

Plasmid (DNA)
nucleoid
ribosomes

flegellum

inclusion

capsule

Cell wall
pili Plasma membrane

Part B

Match each term in Column B with its description in Column A by writing its letter on the line provided.

__g___ 1. small pieces of circular DNA a. binary fission

___a__ 2. Bacterial cell division b. conjugation
c. endospore
____c_ 3. special, dehydrated cell formed when conditions are unfavorable d. nucleoid
__i___ 4. The gel like fluid inside the cell membrane .
__b___ 5. exchange of genetic material through cell-to-cell contact e. pili
___f___6. Long, thin, whip-like structures that enable movement. f. flagella
___e__ 7. hair-like structures on the surface of bacteria g. plasmid
__d___ 8. A dense region of DNA in a prokaryotic cell h. cell wall
__h__ 9. A rigid structure that surrounds cells of bacteria i. Cytoplasm
Part C

1. How does binary fission differ from

conjugation?

Binary Fission is a method of asexual

reproduction. This process involves
splitting the DNA of a parent cell
creating two identical daughter cells.
Conjugation is a sexual reproduction, it
involves the direct transfer of genetic material between two bacterial cells that are temporarily joined.

2. What are 3 ways in which Bacteria can share genetic information?

Conjunction, transformation, transduction

3. What is the main feature that distinguishes Bacterial cells from Eukaryotic cells?

Eukaryotic cells have nuclei

4. Name 4 shapes of bacteria. (not arrangements of bacterial cells)

a. coccus
b. bacillus
c. vibrio
d. spirillum

2. Where is the genetic material of a bacterium found?

In a nucleoid and in plasmids

3. What structure do some bacteria use to move?

pili