3.03 The Cell: Prokaryotes...Simple Cells

Niles, my old apprentice, how is the sightseeing tour shaping up? I heard that you had some engine problems earlier. We also have had some trouble here. Let me take you and your crew for a tour and we can discuss the craziness around this dig.

It's a long story that started at the entrance of the tomb. There is an inscription warning of sickness to anyone that disturbs the slumber of the dead. Well, come to find out, the dust around here is full of the bacteria, C. perfringens, and that dust covered our food. Well, since you're a touring biologist I'll let you explain to your group the rest of the story.

The Cell: Prokaryotes...Simple cells

Prokaryote cells are structurally simple. All single cell bacteria belong to this group of cells. The whole organism is just one, simple cell. The cell is the organism. If the cell dies, the organism dies.

This is an electron microscope view of the Clostridium perfringens bacteria, an example of a prokaryote cell. Each rod is one bacterium.

Some C. perfringens can be found in unclean water sources and can cause food poisoning. This might explain why Dr. Q's workers are getting sick.

The question we must ask, and answer, is how in the world does C. perfringens live in a tomb for thousands of years, only to infect the diggers?

Take a close look at the prokaryote cell and the parts of this type of cell.
** Make sure you have your notebook handy.

The Prokaryote Cell

Discussion Time

One of the reasons that C. perfringens survived in the tomb over thousands of years is that it has the ability to produce highly resistant structures known as endospores. A very strong external "shell" forms around the cell membrane of the bacterial cell. Then, the cell goes into a kind of suspended animation. As a spore, the bacteria can resist and live through a range of hazardous environments, from extreme dryness to very high or low temperatures.

It is amazing how well bacteria (prokaryote cells) can adapt to an environment and survives in some hostile environments. Bacteria can live in volcanoes, deep in the ocean, in the arctic snow, and in your intestines!

• For this part of your investigation, review the parts of the prokaryote cell.
• Choose one of the parts of a prokaryotic cell that you think is most important.
• Go to the discussion area and find the 3.03 Prokaryote Discussion.
• Consider the prompt below and then post your response:

Which part of the prokaryotic cell do you think is most important?
Support your choice with at least 2 reasons.

• Then read the responses of other students, and reply to at least two classmates.
  

Your discussion will be graded according to the following rubric.

Note: Record the date you post and the names of the students to whom you responded. You will need to report the names as part of the assessment.

When you have completed the discussion, click on the Travel Log tab to continue your tour.