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Biomembranes and Bioenergetics (U00705)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : BIO-4-BIbio

Bacteria are very diverse in the ways energy is harnessed from the environment. Some use electron transport or photosynthesis along similar lines to eukaryotic cells but others use unusual oxidisable substrates (such as hydrogen or ferrous iron) or strange reducible acceptors. Still others are extremophiles living in environments of very high or low pH, or high temperatures that will quickly kill other cells. Major themes that will be developed in the Special Topics are:

- the fundamental evolutionary similarities that exist in oxidative phosphorylation systems
- the ecological interrelationships of organisms eg the methane producers and utilisers
- the challenges to traditional chemiosmotic theory presented by some modes of existence such as that of the alkalophiles
- the detailed understanding of electron transport that we have for the photosynthetic reaction centre.