I. The Basics

A. Microbial Biochemistry

1. Amino acids and proteins
2. Nucleic acids and DNA/RNA
3. Phospholipids and membranes
4. Polysaaccharides and cell walls
5. Role of ATP
6. Chirality

B. Life's Domains

1. The rRNA SSU Universal Tree of Life
2. Viruses

C. Elements of Prokaryotic Cells

1. Distinctions between Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya
2. Ribosomes
3. Transmembrane proteins and ATP production

D. Microbial Genetics

1. Information storage in prokaryotes and eukaryotes
2. Gene expression

a. Transcription
b. Translation

3. Mutation and alleles

II. Microbial Diversity

A. Chemotrophy

1. Catabolism and energy conservation

a. the electron tower
b. respiration
c. autotrophy
d. methanogenesis

2. Anabolism
3. Fermentation

a. Substrate-level phosphorylation

B. Phototrophy

1. Light and dark reactions
2. Photosystems

a. Anoxygenic photosynthesis
b. Oxygenic photosynthesis

C. Extremophiles

1. Thermophiles
2. Acidophiles