Cellular Components

1. COCCUS – spherical / oval elongated

a. Diplococci – flatten at one side
b. Streptococci – chains of coccus
c. Tetrad – groups of four (4)
d. Sarcinae – groups of eight (8)
Cell Wall
e. Staphylococci – grape-like
 Essential for the maintenance of the
shape and integrity of the bacterial cell
 Target for antibiotics that can attack
and kill bacteria without harm to the
host

Primary Function:

 To provide a strong, rigid structural

component that can withstand osmotic
pressures caused by high chemical
concentrations of organic ions in the
cell.
The most common class of antibiotics that
interferes with cell synthesis are the B-lactum
antibiotics, which include penicillin.
The Structure of Peptidoglycan of
Staphylococcus aureus
Structure of the Gram (+) Bacterial Cell Wall
 retain the purple crystal violet dye
when subjected to the Gram-staining
procedure
 cell wall is thick (20-80 nanometers)
consisting of several layers of
peptidoglycan (60-80%)
 perpendicular to the peptidoglycan
sheets are a group of molecules called
teichoic acids (water-soluble polymer
of glycerol or ribitol) which are unique
to the Gram-positive cell wall.
Glycanchain
 Backbone of peptidoglycan
 Consists of two alternating residue
NAM (N-acetylmuramic acid)
 Levo-alanine
 Dextro-glutamic acid
 L-lysine
 D-alanine (diaminopimelic acid [DAP])
Interpeptide bridge
 Amino acid (peptidoglycan)
DAP (diaminopimelic acid)
 Potential antimicrobial target
 2 D-configuration
Teichoic Acid
 Make the negative(-) charge
 Connected are phosphodiester bridges
Lipoteichoic Acid
 Responsible for causing fever and
inflammation
 Gram(+)
 The glycerol teichoic acid is bound to a
membrane
Functions of teichoic acid:
 Effect passage of metalcations through
the cell wall
Structure of the Gram (-) Bacterial Cell Wall
 do not retain the crystal violet in the
Gram-stain procedure
 cell wall is relatively thin (10
nanometers)
 composed of a single layer of
peptidoglycan (10-20%) surrounded by
a membranous structure called the
outer membrane
 teichoic acids are absent
LPS (Lipopolysaccharide)
 Antigenic factor
 Cannot be seen in gram (+)
a. Lipid A
- toxic portion (head)
- causes inflammation
b. KDO (Ketodeoxyoctanate) – between
Lipid A and are polysaccharide (neck)
c. Core Polysaccharide (Body) – antigenic
factor
d. O-specific Polysaccharide (tail)
- O-antigen
- For adherence or resistance to
phagocytosis
- Accounts for multiple antigenic
types (serotype)
Lipoprotein
 Between LPS and peptidoglycan
Periplasm
 Between LPS and peptidoglycan
CYTOPLASMIC MEMBRANE
 composed of 40% phospholipid bilayer
and 60 % protein
 Phospholipids are amphoteric
molecules (water-soluble) hydrophilic
region (the glycerol “head”) attached to
two insoluble hydrophobic fatty acid
“tails”)
 Don’t have sterols
 Serves as a semi-permeable membrane
 Energy generator
Primary Functions:
1. Transport
2. Enzyme functions associated with the
membrane
Fluid Mosaic Membrane
 The hydrophilic phosphatidyl glycerols
from the inner and outer faces of the
membrane
 The fatty acids orient themselves
towards one another to form the
hydrophobic interior of the membrane
CYTOPLASM
 Consists of approximately 80% water
and contains enzymes that:
 Generate ATP directly by oxidizing
glucose and other carbon sources
 Contains some of the enzymes involved
in synthesis of peptidoglycan subunits
 Structures:
a. Ribosomes
b. DNA genome (nucleoid)
c. Inclusion granules
BACTERIAL CHROMOSOME OR NUCLEOID
 Differentiates prokaryotes from
eukaryotes
 Prokaryotic nucleoid: NO NUCLEAR
MEMBRANE
 Eukaryotic nucleus: BOUNDED BY
NUCLEAR MEMBRANE
PLASMIDS
 Relatively small, circular pieces of
double-stranded extrachromosomal
DNA
  Capable of autonomous replication
 My transfer readily from one organism
to another
 Resistance

INCLUSIONS

Cytoplasmic Membrane

Mesosomes

 Invagination