Bio 181, Fall 2005

Learning Objectives for Chapter 18

Microbial Models: The Genetics of Viruses and Bacteria

Understand and be able to use the following terms:

virus	capsid	envelope	bacteriophage
host range	retroviruses	reverse transcriptase	HIV
AIDS	transformation	transduction	conjugation
plasmids	repressor	activator	operon
operator

1. List and describe the structural components of viruses.
2. Explain why viruses are obligate parasites., and describe a typical reproductive cycle.
3. Describe the reproductive cycle of retroviruses.
4. Describe the mechanisms by which new viral diseases emerge.
5. Describe the structure of a bacterial chromosome.
6. Describe the process of binary fission in bacteria.
7. Compare the sources of genetic variation in bacteria and humans.
8. Compare the processes of transformation, transduction, and conjugation.
9. Describe the roles of plasmids in the bacterial cell.
10. Using the trp operon as an example, explain the concept of an operon and the function of the operator, repressor, and co-repressor in control of gene expression in prokaryotes. Be able to diagram the process.