Prescott's Microbiology 8th Edition by Joanne Willey, Linda Sherwood, Christopher J. Woolverton, Lansing Prescott, John Harley, Donald Klein

Exercise 5

List three genera that are exceptional in terms of their chromosome or nucleoid structure. Suggest how the differences observed in these genera might impact how they function.

Step 1 of 2

Bacteria typically have a single chromosome that contained within a double-stranded circle. The chromosome is usually not membrane bound but is confined to a particular area of the cytoplasm called the nucleoid. However, there are exceptions. Bacteria of the genus Borrelia and Agrobacterium have a chromosome that is linear and not circular. Other genera, such as Vibrio, have more than one chromosome. Gemmata and Pirellula actually have a membrane-bound DNA region.