CHAPTER IV

DIVERSITY OF
MICROORGANISM

BACTERIA

Brandon M. Estigoy, LPT

 Bacteria

23 phyla

32 classes

5 subclasses

77 orders

14 suborders

182 families

871 genera

5,007 species
 BACTERIA

Morphologic examination of bacteria is based on cell shape,

staining reaction, motility, colony, colony morphology,
atmospheric requirements, nutritional requirements,
biochemical and metabolic activities, specific enzymes that the
organism produces, pathogenicity, and genetic composition.
BACTERIAL MORPHOLOGY BASED
ON SIZES, SHAPES, ARRANGEMENT
OF BACTERIAL CELLS
 BACTERIA

Bacteria can be categorized according to their shape and arrangement.

Source: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/shapes-of-bacteria-
spherical-rod-like-and-spiral-bacteria-gm943415490-257769671
 BACTERIA

Cocci are bacteria

with spherical shape
and they appear as
round berries. The
arrangement of their
cells is a
characteristics of a
specific genus.

Source: https://quizlet.com/133652735/bio-120-deblieu-
ch-16-flash-cards/
 BACTERIA
Bacilli (bacillus “little staff”) are the rod shape or cylindrical
shaped bacteria.
• Diplobacilli – occurs singly, in pairs
• Coccobacilli – broad and long cells
• Streptobacilli – short or long chains of bacilli
They may differ in length and in width and their ends maybe
rounded, square, and tapered/pointed.
Pattern of Arrangement:
a. Palisade arrangement – cells lined side by side
(Corynebacterium diphteriae)
b. Rosette arrangement – arrange like cat claw
(Caulobacter)
c. Streptobacilli – chains of bacilli (streptobacillus)
Source: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/diplobacilli
 BACTERIA
Spiral bacterial:
a. Spirilla – spiral or helical-shaped bacteria like a corkscrew
b. Spirochetes – flexible, spiral bacteria which can move their
bodies due to contraction of flagellum or axial filament.

Source: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/spirillum
 BACTERIA

Some bacteria have varied cell shapes (known as

Pleiomorphic). Others have pear-shaped-cells
(Pasteuria) and disk-shape cells (Caryphanon).

Sizes of bacteria are measured in micrometers (1um = 10−3 ).

In general, size of bacteria ranges from 0.5 to 1 um in
width/diameter but they differ in length. A typhoid bacterium
is about 2-3 um long while others extend to about more than
100 um in length.
 BACTERIA

How many bacteria of 0.5 um in diameter are

needed in a span of 1 cm?
 ULTRA STRUCTURE OF
PROKARYOTIC BACTERIA

Source: https://biologydictionary.net/prokaryotic-cell/
 BACTERIA
APPENDAGES
a. Flagellum
- slender, threadlike structure that is several times the
length of a bacterial cell. It provides motility for the
bacteria and can propel to as much as 100 um/second.
- Visible under EM, and can be visible under a light
microscope by application of a mordant during staining

Flagellum can propels at a rate of 3000 body length per minute

while cheetah is a about 1500 body length per minute.

Mordant is a substance used for fixing the stain

and can increase the diameter of the flagellum
 BACTERIA
There are various kinds of flagellation, among which are:

a. Monotricous – one flagellum is attached at one end of

the cell (Pseudomonas)
b. Amphitrichous – one flagellum is attached at each end
of the cell (Spirillum)
c. Lopotrichous – several flagella are attached at one end
of the cell (some Pseudomonas)
d. Peritrichous – flagella are attached at any part of the cell
(Escherichia coli)
Source:
https://www.dreamstime.com/flagela-
types-schematic-illustration-bacterial-
flagella-image174334138
 BACTERIA
A. APPENDAGES
a. Fimbriae/Pilus
- Shorter, straighter and filamentous appendages of
bacteria. They differ only in their functions.

Fimbriae is used for the adhesion of the bacterial cell to each other and to
other cell. The ability of some organisms to causes diseases is attributes to
fimbriae such as E.coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Pili are usually longer and fewer than fimbriae. They help
in the transferring of DNA between cells during
conjugation.
 N. Gonorrheae is a causative agent of gonorrhea in male
and female. They can attach themselves to the epithelial
cells through their fimbriae. This attachment prevent
themselves from washing away by mucus and body fluids.
 BACTERIA
B. Surfaces Layers
a. Capsule
- Is an envelope or slimy layer visible only under EM. It
surrounds the cell wall of certain bacteria and usually
made up of polysaccharides.
Functions:
• For adherence to various surfaces such as teeth, rocks, and
plant root
• For protection from drying (it can bind to water molecules)
• Reservoir of stored foods
• For pathogenic bacteria, protects cell from engulfing by the
white blood cells
 BACTERIA
B. Surfaces Layers
b. Cell Wall
- It accounts for 10-40% of the cell’s drying weight. It
gives shape and rigidity to the cell since it can withstand
with stand osmotic pressure.
• The major component of bacterial cell wall is a polysaccharide
called peptidoglycan or murein. It is a polymer of N-
acetylmuramic acid. This compound is present only in
prokaryotic cell.
• Bacteria can be categorized based according to the composition
of their cell wall. These are the gram negative (-) and the gram (+)
bacteria.
Source: https://www.slideshare.net/gaurav2481/bacterial-cell
 BACTERIA

Gram - bacteria
• Possess thinner cell wall of about 10-15 nm due to its very
thin peptidoglycan layer.
• Their membrane is a bilayer structure with phospholipids
at the cytoplasmic end and the lipopoplysaccharides at the
outer membrane. The phospholipids have both the polar
and non-polar. The non-polar end is away from the
aqueous environment while the polar end is facing
outward.
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Cross-section-of-the-envelope-of-a-
typical-Gram-negative-bacterium-LPS-is-a-component-of_fig1_284644486
 BACTERIA

Gram + bacteria
• Possess thicker cell wall
of about 20-25 nm due
to the very high amount
of peptidoglycan in the
layer of the wall
• Do not possess an outer
membrane
Source: https://www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/gram-positive
 BACTERIA
B. Surfaces Layers
c. Cytoplasmic Membrane
- Is a semi-permeable membrane that can serve as a
barrier to most of the water soluble molecules. It
contains an invagination forming tubules called
mesosomes

Functions:
• For cell division or DNA replication
• For the secretion of enzymes
• As site of photosynthesis for the photoautotrophs
 BACTERIA
3. Internal Structure
a. Cytoplasmic Area
- Fluid portion of the cell that contains the dissolved
organic substances such as nucleic acids, proteins,
carbohydrates and lipids.
- It also contains many inorganic ions and several low
molecular weight compounds.
- This area also contains the ribosomes and sometimes
glycogen granules, polyphosphates and others.
 BACTERIA
3. Internal Structure
b. Nuclear Area
- Also called nucleoid and is found near the center of
the cell. It seems to be attached to the mesosomes
- Consist of single, circular chromosome.
 BACTERIA
3. Dormant Structures
- Some bacterial species remain dormant or
metabolically inactive during unfavorable conditions
such as desiccation and extreme heat. They may
become metabolically active vegetative cells under
favorable conditions.

Spores
- Thick-walled and highly refractile structures that are
resistant to environmental changes such as extreme
heat, drying and exposure to chemicals
 BACTERIA
3. Dormant Structures
Spores
- Thick-walled and highly refractile structures that are
resistant to environmental changes such as extreme
heat, drying and exposure to chemicals
- Classified according to its position; spores can be
centrally located, terminally located and subterminally
- Present in many species of Clostridium and Bacillus
 BACTERIA
3. Dormant Structures
Cysts
- Dormant, thick-walled structure that can resist drying
but not high heat
- Present in Azotobacter