20.2 Prokaryotes Structure and function
Structure:
Range in size from 1 to 5 micrometers (smaller than eukaryotic cells)
Bacilli: rod-shaped prokaryotes
Cocci: spherical prokaryotes
Spirilla: spiral and corkscrew-shaped prokaryotes
Function: some move and some don't
-move in different ways
-some are propelled by flagella
-some glide slowly along a layer of slime like material that they secrete
binary fission: type of asexual reproduction in which an organism replicates its DNA and divides in half, producing two identical daughter cells Endospore: structure produced by prokaryotes in unfavorable conditions; a thick internal wall that encloses the DNA and a portion of the cytoplasm Conjugation: process in which paramecia and some prokaryotes exchange genetic information