Endospore formation occurs when  [answer1]. For this process to occur, a [answer2] cell division is involved. During the process, the mother cell [answer3] the developing endospore. The endospore that is released [answer4] metabolically active and it has a high degree of resistance to environmental stresses.

Some halophilic archaea can grow as photoheterotrophs. Is the following true or false about this type of metabolism? These organisms have a unique protein called bacteriorhodopsin that can directly convert light energy into a proton gradient.

You are studying a novel species of Archaea that can be found in ocean sediments and you find that it has a generation time of 75 minutes, using binary fission to divide. If you start with a population of 1000 cells in a culture, how many cells will there be after 5 hours of incubation? Show your work or explain your answer.  

Some microbes can grow at pH extremes. True/False. These cells have an neutral internal pH despite the external pH.

You make up a liquid medium containing the following ingredients (each in sufficient quantities for growth): potassium phosphate, magnesium chloride, ammonium sulfate, glucose, and trace elements. You can assume that atmospheric gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas) are available. Would you expect a prototrophic chemoheterotrophic microbe to grow in this medium?  

Both E. coli and the mollicutes are chemoheterotrophs. What is one difference in terms of growth features between these two types?

Moritella profunda is a psychrophile. Why would it not be able to grow at 30˚C? For your answer, you must refer to specific cellular processes or structures that would be affected and explain how they would be affected.

You are studying a novel species of Eukarya that can be found in ocean sediments and you find that it has a generation time of 45 minutes, dividing by binary fission. If you start with a population of 200 cells in a culture, how many cells will there be after 3 hours of incubation? Show your work or explain your answer. 

Many bacteria and archaea can fix nitrogen. This process uses [answer1] to produce [answer2]. The product is used as a(n) [answer3]. 

True/False. Photoautotrophs use carbon dioxide for their source of carbon, but chemoautotrophs do not.