CHAPTER 2

FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY OF PROKARYOTES AND EUKARYOTES

At the end of the Chapter, you should be able to:
1. Describe and compare the cellular characteristics of microorganisms as prokaryotes or eukaryotes
2. Classify microorganisms according to these characteristics

Chapter 11 and 12 of the Textbook discuss the Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes.

Or you may opt to read the concepts on any of the available references
from the Library or from the internet.

1. Watch the videoclip “Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic Cells” to review their

differences.
2. Recall the transport mechanisms particles across membranes

Simply, Prokaryotic cells are those without a nucleus and has no membrane bound
organelles while a Eukaryotic cell has a true nucleus and membrane bound
organelles.

Below is a picture of the Prokaryotic cell (Left) and the Eukaryotic cell (Right)

Similarities of the Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells:

1. Both contain nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates
2. Use the same chemical reactions to metabolize food, build protein and store energy

Prokaryotic Cells:
a. Eubacteria
b. Bacteria
c. Archeobacteria

THE PROKARYOTIC CELL COMPONENTS:

Structures external to the cell wall:

1. GLYCOCALYX
✓ Referred to as the “sugar coat” as it is composed of polypeptide, polysaccharide or both
✓ Substance that surrounds the cell, usually made inside the cell and excreted to the cell surface
✓ (Bacteria) viscous, gelatinous polymer external to the cell wall

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2 Types:
A. Capsule
B. Slime Layer

CAPSULE SLIME LAYER

Arrangement of the glycocalyx Well organized layer Unorganized layer
layer

Composition Polysaccharides Exopolysaccharides, glycoproteins, and

glycolipids

Binding to the cell wall Tightly bound Loosely bound

Relative Thickness Thicker Thin
Function Virulence factor that helps to Aids in adherence of the cell, and protection
evade phagocytosis from cell dehydration and nutrient loss

Biofilms are a collection of one or more types of microorganisms that grow many several surfaces.
Example of biofilm formers: bacteria, fungi and the protists.
Example of a biofilm is the dental plaque

Extracellular Polymeric Substance (EPS)

✓ glycoclyx which helps the biofilm attach to its target site
✓ it functions for cell protection, facilitates communication and adherence

2. FLAGELLA
✓ long appendages that propel the cell
✓ whip-like protrusion that aids in cellular locomotion

Arrangement:
a. Atrichous: no flagella
b. Monotrichous: single polar flagellum
c. Lophotrichous: 2 or more flagella at one pole
d. Amphitrichous: flagella on both poles
e. Peritrichous: flagella is distributed around the cell

Parts of the Flagella:

i. Filament – long outermost region
ii. Hook – where the filament is attached
iii. Basal body – anchor the flagellum to the cell wall & plasma membrane

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Movements of the Flagella:

a. Run/ swim – movement of the flagella is in one

direction for a period of time
b. Tumbles – periodic, abrupt changes in direction due
to reversed flagellar rotation
c. Swarm – rapid wavelike movement across a solid
culture media

Prokaryote vs Eukaryote:
P: clockwise or counterclockwise rotation
around its long axis
E: wavelike motion

In the presence of:

✓ Attractants: many runs, few tumbles
✓ Repellants: more tumbles

Chemotaxis – movement with chemical stimulus

Phototaxis – movement with light stimulus

*H – antigen
✓ Flagellar protein useful among senovars or variations within species
of Gram (-) bacteria

3. AXIAL FILAMENTS
✓ Aka: Endoflagella
✓ Bundles of fibrils that arise at the ends of the cell beneath the outer
sheath & spiral around the cell
✓ Responsible for the corkscrew motion of the spiral microorganisms

4. FIMBRIAE AND PILI

✓ Motility structures found in Gram (-) bacteria

Comparison Table
FIMBRIAE PILI

Appearance Tiny, bristle like fibers Hair- like microfibers

Occurence Both Gram (+) and Gram (-) Gram (-)

# of structures in a cell 200 – 400 1-10

Composition Fimbrillin protein Pilin protein

Location of genes responsible in its formation Chromosome Plasmids

Relative Length Shorter Longer

Relative thickness Thin Thick

Function Adherence Conjugation

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PARTS of THE PROKARYOTIC CELL:

1. CELL WALL
✓ Complex, semirigid structure
which functions as:
o Prevention of cell
rupture due to
osmosis
o Retains the shape of
the cell
o Point of anchorage
for the flagella
o Helps in the disease
- causing ability of
the cell
o Site of action for the
antimicrobials
o Basis for
differentiation of the
major types of the
Bacteria

Gram (+) cell wall

✓ Have a relatively thick layer of peptidoglycan that also contains unique polysaccharides called teichoic acid.
Some teichoic acids are covalently linked to lipids, forming lipoteichoic acids that anchor the peptidoglycan
to the cell membrane.
✓ The thick cell wall of a Gram positive organism retains the crystal violet dye used in the Gram staining
procedure, so the stained cells appear purple under magnification
✓ Some additional chemicals are associated with the walls of some Gram-positive bacteria.
o For example, species of Mycobacterium, which include the causative agents of tuberculosis and
leprosy, have walls with up to 60% mycolic acid, a waxy lipid.
o Mycolic acid helps these cells survive desiccation and makes them difficult to stain with regular
waterbased dyes.
✓ Researchers have
developed a special
staining procedure called
the acid-fast stain to stain
these Gram-positive cells
that contain large
amounts of waxy lipids.
Such cells are called
acid-fast bacteria

Gram (-) cell wall

✓ Have only a thin layer of

peptidoglycan, but
outside this layer is a
bilayer membrane
composed of
phospholipids, channel
proteins (called porins),
and lipopolysaccharide
(LPS).

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 ✓ The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the outer membrane is a large complex molecule that contains lipids and
carbohydrates and consists of three components:
o Lipid A- lipid portion of LPS
o A core polysaccharide- attached to lipid A and contains unusual sugars. Its role is structural-to provide
stability.
o O polysaccharide- extends outward from the core polysaccharide and is composed of sugar
molecules. The O polysaccharide functions as an antigen and is useful for distinguishing species of
gram negative bacteria

✓
Lipid A is released from dead cells when the cell wall disintegrates, and it may trigger fever, vasodilation,
inflammation, shock and blood clotting in humans.
✓ Killing large numbers of Gram (-) cells with antimicrobial drugs releases large amounts of Lipid A, which might
threaten the patient more than the live bacteria.
✓ The Gram (-) cell wall can also be an impediment to the treatment of disease. The outer membrane may
prevent the movement of penicillin to the underlying peptidoglycan, thus rendering the drug ineffectual
against many Gram –negative pathogens.
✓ Between the cell membrane and the outer membrane of Gram (-) organisms is a periplasmic space.
✓ The periplasmic space contains the peptidoglycan and periplasm, the given to the gel between the
membranes of Gram (-) cells. Periplasm contains water, nutrients, and substances secreted by the cell, such as
digestive enzymes and proteins involved in specific transport.

2. CELL MEMBRANE OR PLASMA MEMBRANE

✓ surrounds the cell's cytoplasm and regulates the flow of substances in and out of the cell.

3. MESOSOMES OR CHONDRIOIDS
✓ folded invaginations in the plasma membrane of bacteria that are produced by the chemical fixation
techniques used to prepare samples for electron microscopy

4. CYTOPLASM
✓ a gel-like substance composed mainly of water that also contains enzymes, salts, cell components, and
various organic molecules
5. RIBOSOMES
✓ cell structures responsible for protein production

6. NUCLEIOD REGION
✓ Area of the cytoplasm that contains the single bacterial DNA molecule

7. PLASMIDS
✓ gene carrying, circular DNA structures that are not involved in reproduction.

THE EUKARYOTIC CELL COMPONENTS:

1. Cell Membrane Made out of phospholipids and proteins

2. Cell Wall Structure in plants made of cellulose that is outside of the cell membrane
3. Nucleolus Dark spot of chromatin in the nucleous where ribosomes are produced

4. Organelles (the parts of a cell with a particular function)

a. Chromatin Thin strands of DNA and proteins found in the nucleus of a cell
b. Cytoplasm Colloid that contains water and nutrients and supports the organelles
c. Nucleus Regulates all cell activities
d. Mitochondrion Site of cellular respiration "power house"
e. Chloroplast Found only in plants, site of photosynthesis
f. Ribosomes Produce Proteins
g. Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum Contains Ribosomes, transports proteins and other materials
h. Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum Contains no ribosomes, stores proteins
i. Gogi complex (apparatus) Processes and packages proteins

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j. Vacuoles Large storage sacks found mainly in plants
k. Lysosome Suicide Sacks that contain digestive enzymes
l. Cytoskeleton Long protein filaments in the cytosol that support the cell.
m. Centrioles Only in animal cells, aid in cell division
n. Microvilli non-motile, used in the absorption process
o. Cilia motile components, used to move the cell bodies and other sweeping processes

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