A hypothetical bacterium swims among human intestinal contents until it finds a suitable location on the intestinal lining. It adheres to the intestinal lining using a feature that also protects it from phagocytes, bacteriophages, and dehydration. Fecal matter from a human in whose intestine this bacterium lives can spread the bacterium, even after being mixed with water and boiled. The bacterium is not susceptible to the penicillin family of antibiotics. It contains no plasmids and relatively little peptidoglycan. This bacterium derives nutrition by digesting human intestinal contents. Thus, this bacterium is an ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bacterium derives nutrition by digesting human intestinal contents, indicating that it is a heterotroph. It also does not require oxygen for respiration, as it is found in the intestinal tract, which can be anaerobic. Therefore, the bacterium is an anaerobic chemoheterotroph. The fact that it is not susceptible to the penicillin family of antibiotics and contains no plasmids are additional characteristics that support this classification.

A Hypothetical Bacterium Swims Among Human Intestinal Contents Until It