Lysosomes were organelles, first discovered by a scientist named Christian de Duve in the year 1955. Its structure was first studied by a scientist named Novikoff in the year 1956 by performing electron microscopy. The lysosomes function as “Digestive compartments” that helps in the degradation of complex molecules by the digestion enzymes. A lysosome comprises …
Haemoglobin or Hb is an iron transport metalloprotein. It refers as “Metalloprotein” as it contains four iron metal ions or haem (Iron-containing porphyrin) groups and globular protein. Haemoglobin appears red coloured. Almost all vertebrates and tissues of a few invertebrates contain haemoglobin in their RBCs. Other than RBCs, haemoglobin is also present in macrophages, alveolar …
Gelatin hydrolysis test is the presumptive test method to distinguish between the gelatin hydrolysing and non-hydrolysing organisms. An exoenzyme, “Gelatinase” catalyse the hydrolysis of gelatin. Gelatin hydrolysing bacteria will produce gelatinase enzyme to split the protein component of the media into simpler amino acids. Gelatin non-hydrolysing bacteria do not produce gelatinase enzyme, which in turn …
Infection and immunity are the two inter-relatable terms, where the infection-causing organisms could hamper the person’s immunity. The relationship between causing infection-causing microorganisms and host can be saprophytic, parasitic and pathogenic. Infectious disease is a term that is usually interchangeable with the term “Infection”, but there is a slight difference between these two. Infection is …
Fraenkel Conrat experiment was based on the evidence that RNA also carry genetic information. This was the very first experiment that was introduced to prove that RNA is also a genetic material with the help of TMV. Tobacco Mosaic Virus is composed of 6% of RNA (not DNA) and protein. Frankel-Conrat and co-workers determined that …
Haemagglutination is a kind of agglutination reaction that includes erythrocytes. The result is characterized by the agglutination or clumping of erythrocytes. Haemagglutination can be assayed in blood typing and viral quantification. The reason behind the haemagglutination reaction is the glycoproteins that cause RBCs to agglutinate and serves as “Hemagglutinins”. Antibodies and lectins are commonly known …
Nutrition in bacteria is primarily categorized into two major groups, namely autotrophic and heterotrophic. Classification of bacteria in terms of nutritional requirement typically depends on the energy sources, whether in the form of light or chemical energy. Some bacteria obtain energy directly from the sunlight. However, a few bacteria get chemical energy by utilizing inorganic …
Organic matter decomposition is an ecological process that returns nutrients to the soil. The decomposition process has two stages one is on the soil, and the second is below the ground. In the first stage, several terrestrial animals and insects above the ground feed on dead leaves and animal residues left over the ground. Here, …
What is the difference between 70-S and 80-S ribosomes? They are classified based on their sedimentation rate. ‘S’ is the non-SI metric unit, expressed as Svedberg’s Unit, that denotes the sedimentation coefficient of the ribosomes. The particle size of ribosomes in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells differs, due to which they sediment at different rates when centrifuged. …
Binary fission is an asexual method of cell reproduction. The word asexual implies a reproduction that does not involve sex cells or gametes. Instead, the somatic cells take part in the asexual process that forms a clone of the parent. Fission is a process in which an organism divides into two or more fragments. Further, …