Bacterial Cytology & Physiology

Bacterial Taxonomy Parts of a bacterial cell Specialized structures in bacteria

Taxonomical Ladder
Kingdom Phylum Class Order

Monera
Kingdom

Family
Genus Specie

Plantae Kingdom Animalia Kingdom Protista Kingdom Fungi Kingdom Monera

- Type &

Strain

New Classification:
Carl

Woese based on cellular organization (Domain above Kingdom)

cell wall w/ peptidoglycan Archaea cell walls, if present lack peptidoglycan Eukarya Protista, Fungus, Plants, Animals
Bacteria

 Morphology-

cell shapes & struc. Biochemistry & Physiology - conditions & process Serology - FAT & slide agglutination Phage typing

Characters used to classify Bacteria

Percentage

of DNA

base pairs DNA sequence DNA hybridization sequence of amino acids in proteins protein profiles sequence of rRNA

Prokaryote VS. Eucaryote

Procaryotes
appendages:

pili, flagella, axial filaments in spirochetes Usually glycocalyx is present outer membrane present in gram (-) cell wall in all eubacteria

presence

of plasma membrane undiff. cytoplasm non-membrane bound organelles 1 circular DNA binary fission 1 to few u

Eucaryotes
different

flagella from procaryotes very few has glycocalyx no outer memb. no cell wall plasma membranephospholipid bilayer

cytoskeleton

& cytoplasmic streaming membrane bound organelles paired chromosome mitosis & meiosis no endospores > than 10 u

Bacterial Cytology
Structures

external to the cell wall The cell Wall Structures internal to the cell wall

General

Structures Specialized structures

External to the cell wall:

Glycocalyx sugar coat Viscous, gelatinous polymer on the external of the cell, composed of polysaccharide, polypeptide or both Capsule If Glycocalyx is organized and firmly attached to the cell wall, capsule is formed Determines virulence of the cell Negative Staining

 Slime

layer - If the substance is unorganized & loosely attached to cell wall. EPS ( Extracellular polysaccharide )
Glycocalyx

made of sugar- enables the bacteria to attach to various surfaces in the natural environment in order to survive.

Flagella/Flagellum
Long

( whip )

filamentous appendages that propel bacteria

Arrangements of flagella:
single polar Amphitrichous tuft at each end Lophotricous 2 or more at one end Peritrichous entire cell Atricous no flagella
Monotrichous

Flagellar rotation depend on cells continuous generation of energy Flagellar motion run, swim, tumble, swarm

 Axial

Filaments

Unique

in spirochetes, also called endoflagella, which are bundles of fibrils that arise at the ends of the cell beneath an outer sheath and spiral around the cell. Propulsion causes spiral motion or corkscrew movement

Fimbriae & Pili:

Fimbriae/Fimbria

can occur at the poles of the cell or evenly distributed all over Functions for cell attachment/ in the absence colonization cannot happen so no disease ensues

Pili/Pilus

than fimbriae, only 1 2 per cell Preparation for DNA transfer sex pili
Longer

The Cell Wall

Complex,

semi rigid structure responsible for the shape of the cell Composed of peptidoglycan (also known as murein) made up of NAG ( Nacetylglucosamine) and NAM (N-acetyl muramic acid).
Structures

on the disaccharide portion is

repeating.

Gram + & - cell walls:

Most gram (+) bacteria have many layers of peptidoglycan in the cell wall forming a thick rigid structure while gram (-) only contain 1 thin layer of peptidoglycan. Gram (+) contains teichoic acid consisting primarily of an alcohol & phosphate Lipoteichoic Acid Wall teichoic Acid Gram (-) cell walls are susceptible to mechanical breakage because they contain only small amount of peptidoglycan

Internal to the Cell Wall:

Plasma

Membrane/Bacterial Membrane Cytoplasm The Nucleus Ribosomes Inclusions Metachromatic granules Magnetosomes Endospores

Bacterial Membrane
Functions: Demonstrated

by:

osmosis

& permeability cell division primer for biosynthesis site of Ag determinant

Plasmolysis
Stain

- Victoria

Blue Isolation - Diff. centrifuge Ultrathin sections

Bacterial shapes & arrangements

Coccus

single, diplo, tetrad, sarcinae, strepto , staphylo. Bacillus single, diplo, strepto

Spirillus wavy,

corkscrew, comma-shaped Spiral bacteria may have 1 or more twists

Additional Shapes
shaped cells Genus Stella Rectangular flat cells halophilic Genus Haloarcula Triangular shaped cells
Star

Basis of Shape:
Shape

of the bacterium is primarily dependent on heredity. Generally bacteria are monomorphic, maintain 1 single shape Due to environmental conditions, some bacteria tend to become pleomorphic which makes identification difficult. I.e. Rhizobium & Corynebacterium

Trivia:
Is

coccobacilli a coccus or a bacilli? Maybe both or neither of the two? do bacillus not have tetrads or clusters?

Why