Morphology & Structure of

Bacteria
 SHAPE OF THE BACTERIA
Depending on their shape, bacteria are classified into
several varieties
1. Cocci (kokkos meaning berry): spherical or oval cells
2.Bacilli (baculus meaning rod): rod shaped cells
3. Vibrios : comma shaped curved rods
4. Spirilla : rigid spiral forms (like a corkscrew)
5. Spirochetes :helical and flexible spiral forms
6. Actinomycetes: branching filamentous bacteria
7. Mycoplasmas : bacteria that are cell wall deficient
and do not possess a stable morphology.
Mycoplasma
Arrangement of Bacterial Cells
Structure External to Cell Wall

• Flagella- (Singular- flagellum);

1. Hair like, helical appendages that Originating
in the bacterial protoplasm and protrude through
the cell wall.
2. About 0.01μm in diameter and usually several
times the length of the bacteria cell.
3. Location may be polar (from end- one or both)
and lateral (along side).

4. Bacteria that lack flagella- Atrichous

The arrangement of flagella may be
Flagella consist of a. Basal body b. short hook c.
helical filament.

• Basal body: anchors the flagellum to the cell wall

and plasma membrane

 Hook and Filament – composed of protein

flagellin
Gram negative bacteria have sheath surrounding
the flagella. Composition is unknown.
Functions

• Responsible for swimming mobility

• Being beneficial in increasing the rate of

uptake of nutrient solutes

• Assisting pathogenic bacteria in penetration to

host
• useful in identification
 Pili & Fimbriae
Many gram-negative bacteria possess hollow, non- helical,
filamentous, rigid surface appendages called pili or fimbriae

• Straighter, thinner, shorter and more numerous than flagella.

• composed of structural protein subunits termed pilin arraged
helically around a central core
• Used for attachment rather than motility
 Fimbriae Pili

• Can occur at poles of cell or • Longer than fimbriae

evenly distributed over • Number- only 1 or 2 per cell
entire surface of cell (few to
several 100)
• Pili join bacterial cells in
• Playing a role in the
preparation for transfer of
adherence of symbiotic and
DNA from one bacterial cell
pathogenic bacteria to host
to another. (F Pilus)
cells- cells lining of
respiratory tract, intestinal • Involved in motility
tract
 Glycocalyx / Capsule (sugar coat)

• Gelatinous material, the outer most layer, essentially

forms a covering layer or envelope around the cell wall.

• If layer visualized by light microscopy by employing

staining techniques – capsule - substance is organized
and is firmly attached to the cell wall

• if the layer too thin to be observed by light microscopy -

microcapsule.

• substance is unorganized and only loosely attached

to the cell wall, the glycocalyx is described as a
slime layer.
 Chemical composition of capsule

1. Composed of Polysaccharide

• Homopolysaccharide- syntehsized outside the

cell form disaccharide (S. Mutans)
• Heteropolysaccharide- syntehsized from sugar
precursors activated within cell. (Klebsiella sp.)

2. Composed of Polypeptide (glutamic acid)-

Bacillus anthrasis
 Functions
• Provide protection against temporary drying by binding water
molecules

• may be Antiphagocytic in nature i.e. inhibit engulfment of

pathogenic bacteria by WBC & contribute to infective ability. E.g.
Bacillus anthrasis , Streptococcus pneumoniae

• May block attachment of Bacteriophages

• promote attachment of bacteria to surfaces, such as :

Streptococcus mutans — a bacterium that is directly linked to
causing dental caries, by means of its ability to adhere
intimately onto the smooth surfaces of teeth on account of its
specific secretion of a water-insoluble capsular glucan.
 Cell wall Functions
• complex, semirigid structure responsible for the shape
of the cell
• protects plasma and the interior of the cell from
adverse changes in the outside environment
• prevent the cell from expanding & eventually bursting
due to water uptake.
• essential for bacterial growth & division.
• It renders cell capable of survival even when there
exist a great difference of osmotic pressure b/w cell &
environment
• serves as a point of anchorage for flagella.
• contributes to the ability of some species to cause
disease and is the site of action of some antibiotics.
 Composition and Characteristics
bacterial cell wall is composed of : Peptidoglycan
(murein)

Peptidoglycan : Cross linked polymer, enormous strength &

rigidity
 consists of a repeating disaccharide connected by polypeptides to
form a lattice that surrounds and protects the entire cell.
disaccharide portion: formed by N acetyl
glucosamine & N acetyl muramic acid alternating
in chains, cross linked by peptide chains
 Gram-Positive Cell Walls
Composition 20-25 nm
Many layers of peptidoglycan, forming a thick,
rigid structure
teichoic acids*: consist of an alcohol (such as
glycerol or ribitol) and phosphate
• Some are linked to Lipids & called Lipoteichoic
acid.
Polysaccharide: covalently linked to peptidoglycan
A little lipid: except Mycobacterium (60% mycolic
acid, a waxy lipid)
 * Teichoic acid
• Regulate the movement of cations (+ ions)
into and out of cell
• Assumed to Play a role in
cell growth
Prevent extensive wall breakdown
Cell lysis
 Gram-Negative Cell Walls
Composition 10-15 nm
• one or a very few layers of peptidoglycan
• an outer membrane: consist of
lipopolysaccharides (LPS), lipoproteins, and
phospholipids
Function of Outer membrane:
• provides a barrier to detergents, heavy metals, bile salts,
certain dyes, antibiotics and digestive enzymes such as
lysozyme

• Its strong negative charge is an important factor in

escaping phagocytosis & Lysis

• permit the passage of molecules such as nucleotides,

disaccharides, peptides, amino acids, vitamin B12, and
iron due to protein channel in the membrane, called
Porins.
 Structures Internal to the Cell Wall
The Plasma (Cytoplasmic) Membrane
Approximately 7.5 nm thickness.
Present immediately beneath the cell wall
Composed of phospholipids (about 20-30- %) and
protein(60-70 %).
Each phospholipid molecule
contains a polar head
(face outward) &
non-polar tail (inward).
• Phospholipids form a bi-layer in which most of the
proteins are tenaciously held (integral proteins) –
removed only by destruction of membrane (detergents)

• Some Integral proteins penetrate membrane completely:

trans membrane protein
• Integral protein act as channels thru which substances
enter & exit the cell

• Peripheral proteins- Loosely attached, can be removed

by mild treatment .
• Function as enzyme to catalyze chemical reaction & as
mediators of changes in membrane shape during
movement.
• The lipid matrix of membrane has fluidity
allowing the components to move around
laterally.

• Dynamic arrangement of phospholipids &

proteins- referred as Fluid mosaic model.

* The membranes of prokaryotes are distinguished

from those of eukaryotic cells by the absence of
sterols (Cholesterol)
• Serve as a selective barrier* through which materials
enter and exit the cell.
*Smaller molecules (such as water, oxygen, carbon
dioxide, and some simple sugars) usually pass through
easily but proteins can not

• Site for the generation of proton-motive force due to

presence of certain enzyme- capable to break down the
nutrients and ATP-thereby producing energy

• contains the enzymes that are intimately involved in the

respiratory metabolism, capsule and cell wall
components
 Membrane intrusions and Intracellular membrane systems

Bacteria have specialised invaginations of cytolasmic membrane that

can increase their surface area for certain functions.
• Mesosomes
 Vesicular, convoluted tubules (vehicles) formed by invagination of
plasma membrane into the cytoplasm.
 Principal sites of respiratory enzymes and help in cell division.
May be
1. Central mesosomes: penetrate deeply in to the cytoplasm; located
near middle of the cell, seems attached to cell’s nuclear material.
Involved in DNA replication and cell division.

2. Peripheral mesosomes: shallow penetrated into cytoplasm, not

restricted into to a central location, not associated with nuclear
material. Involved in the export of exo-cellular enzymes such as
penicillinase
 Cytoplasm
 Material bounded by cytoplasm membrane
May be divided into-
• Cytoplasmic area- Granular in appearance. rich in
macromolecular RNA protein bodies known as ribosomes
(70 S)- on which protein are synthesized .

• Chromatinic area – rich in DNA (DNA is circular).

Plasmids are extra circular DNA.

• Fluid portion: 80% Water , Proteins ,carbohydrates, lipids,

inorganic ions and many low molecular weight compounds

• Unlike animals and plant cells, there is no endoplasmic

reticulum, no membrane-bearing microsomes, and no
mitochondria.
 Cytoplasmic inclusions and Vacuoles
• Several kind of reserve deposits within cytoplasm of
prokaryotic cells – Inclusions

• Cell may accumulate certain nutrients when they

are plentiful & use them when environment is
deficient

• Volutin granules (metachromatic granules)

characteristically found in the Cornybacterium
diphtheriae Composed of polyphosphate: may act
as a reserve source of energy and phosphate for cell
metabolism.
 Lipid Inclusion
Volutin Granule
• Lipid Inclusion: made of poly β hydroxy butyric acid
(PHB). Serve as a source of reserve carbon and energy.
Myobacterium , Bacillus

• Polysaccharide granules: source of glycogen and

starch – stain brown colour with iodine.

• Sulfur granules: bacteria growing in environment rich in

hydrogen sulfide. eg thiobaccillus

• Gas vacuoles: hollow cavities; aquatic bacteria provide the

buoyancy. Eg cyanobaccillus
Nuclear material
• bacterial cell contain neither a distinct
membrane enclosed nucleus nor a mitotic
apparatus.
• Contain an area near the centre of the cell
regarded as nuclear structure.
• DNA confined to this area term as nucleoid ;
chromatin body; nuclear equivalent, bacterial
chromosomes.
• contains a single long, circularly arranged thread
of double-stranded DNA- carries all info required
for cell’s structures & functions.
In addition PLASMID
Small circular double stranded DNA molecules
Extra chromosomal genetic elements
Not connected to main chromosome
Replicate independently

Ribosomes
Site of protein synthesis
Give cytoplasm a granular appearance
 Spores and cysts
• Spores : metabolically dormant form which under
appropriate conditions can undergo germination
and out growth to form a vegetative cell.

• Endospores: within the cell (Clostridium botulinum)

• Thick walled resting cells, formed when essential
nutrients deplete
• contain large amount of Dipicolinic acid (DPA)
located in the central part of the spores in
combination with large amount of calcium---
responsible for heat resistance
• Exospores: the cells of methane oxidizing
bacteria forms exospores i.e. spores external to
vegetative cells. Unlike the endospores they do
not contain DPA. E.g Methylosinus

• Cysts: are dormant, thick walled, desiccation

resistance, developed by the differentiation of a
vegetative cell, Structure and chemical
composition is different from the endospores.
Spores Cyst