BACTERIOLOGY LECTURE

WEEK 1
BACTERIAL MORPHOLOGY

MICROORGANISMS
● belongs to the Protista Biologic Kingdom. (Kingdom Protista)
● Includes some eukaryotes and prokaryotes, viruses, viroids, and prions.
● classified according to their structure, chemical composition, and biosynthetic and
genetic organization.

PROKARYOTIC CELLS vs EUKARYOTIC CELLS

CHARACTERISTICS PROKARYOTIC CELLS EUKARYOTIC CELLS

(No true nucleus)
Major group Bacteria, Archaea
(Blue-green algae)
Size of cell Typically, 0.2-2.0 um in
diameter
Motility Flagella (simple)
Cell Wall Peptidoglycan (Bacteria)
Cell membrane lacks sterols (except for
Mycoplasma species)
● Urea plasma → no cell
membrane, have sterol.
(True nucleus)
Algae, fungi, protozoa, plants,
animals
Typically, 10-100 um in
diameter
Flagella (complex);
pseudopodia (protozoa)
Absent; present:
chitin (fungal cell wall) or
cellulose (plants)
Sterols
Cholesterol (animals),
ergosterol (fungi)

PROKARYOTIC CELLS vs EUKARYOTIC CELLS:

NUCLEUS

CHARACTERISTICS PROKARYOTIC CELLS EUKARYOTIC CELLS

Nucleus Nucleoid True nucleus
Nuclear membrane Absent Present
Chromosomes Single, closed, circular, Multiple, linear chromosomes
double-stranded

PROKARYOTIC CELLS vs EUKARYOTIC CELLS:

CYTOPLASM

CHARACTERISTICS PROKARYOTIC CELLS EUKARYOTIC CELLS

Cytoskeleton Absent Present
Ribosome Present but smaller – Present but larger –
70s(50s+30s) 80s(60s+40s)
Smaller size (70s) in organelles
Mitochondria Absent Present
Golgi complex Absent Present
Endoplasmic Absent Present
reticulum
Triglyceride fats Absent Present

1
 BACTERIOLOGY
WEEK 1
VIRUSES
→ not cells and are not visible with the light
microscope.
→ obligate intracellular parasites.
→ Contain no organelles or biosynthetic
machinery, except for a few enzymes.
→ Contains either RNA or DNA as genetic
material.
→ called bacteriophages (or phages) if they
have a bacterial host.
VIROIDS
→ not cells and are not visible with the light
microscope
→ obligate intracellular parasites.
→ single-stranded, covalently closed, circular
RNA molecules that exist as base-paired,
rodlike structures.
→ Cause plant diseases but have not been
proven to cause human disease, although the
RNA of the hepatitis D virus (HDV) is viroid-
like.
PRIONS – abnormal proteins
→ Infectious particles associated with
subacute progressive, degenerative diseases
of the central nervous system (e.g.,
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) - Mad Cow disease
→ Copurify with a specific glycoprotein (PrP)
that has a molecular weight of 27 to 30 kDa.
They are resistant to nucleases but are
inactivated with proteases and other agents
that inactivate proteins.
→ Are altered conformations of a normal
cellular protein that can
autocatalytically form more copies of itself.
FUNDAMENTALS OF BACTERIA
SHAPE:
→ used to identify bacteria.
→ determined by the mechanism of cell wall
assembly.
● Bacilli - rods
● Cocci – spheres
● Spiral shape
→ Vibrio - straight rod or with single rigid
curve
→ Spirillum - rigid helical rod
LECTURE
→ Spirochete - flexuous helical rod
● Borrelia
● Leptospira
● Treponema
ARRANGEMENT:
● PAIRS – diplococci, diplobacilli
● Chains streptococci, streptobacilli
● Grape-like clusters – STAPHYLOCOCCUS
● Group of four-tetrads – PEPTOCOCCUS
● Packets of eight-cuboidal – SARCINA
● Palisades - CORYNEBACTERIUM
→ Chinese letter arrangement
SIZE:
Unit of measurement: micrometer (1/25,000 of
an inch) = 0.001 mm = 1 micrometer or um
● HAEMOPHILUS – smallest pathogenic
bacillus
● BACILLUS ANTHRACIS – largest
pathogenic bacillus
CAPSULE:
→ mucilaginous envelope that surrounds some
bacteria
POLYSACCHARIDE:
→ structure surrounding a bacterial cell and is
external to the cell wall.
Exception: BACILLUS ANTHRACIS (poly-D-
glutamic acid)
● May increase virulence by preventing
phagocytosis (immune evasion)
● Antigenic (basis of serotyping by Quellung
reaction (capsular swelling): specific capsular
swelling with type-specific antiserum)
Encapsulated microorganisms:
→ Streptococcus pneumoniae
→ Haemophilus influenza
→ Pseudomonas aeruginosa
→ Neisseria meningitidis
→ Salmonella typhi
→ Cryptococcus neoformans (fungi, bird
poop)
→ Klebsiella pnemoniae
2
 BACTERIOLOGY LECTURE
WEEK 1
CAPSULE: b) GRAM-NEGATIVE CELL WALL
● Special staining methods: → Composed of a thin layer of peptidoglycan.
→ Hiss stain No teichoic acid.
→ India Ink stain (negative staining – ● OUTER MEMBRANE (periplasmic space)
background staining) → between outer membrane and gram-
● Demonstration: negative cell wall
→ From animal tissues and fluids
→ In media containing serum or milk c) ACID-FAST CELL WALL
→ Has a gram-positive reaction
GLYCOCALYX: - irregular structures → Concurs resistance to drying and chemicals
● "Sugar coat" made of polysaccharides → Contain a waxy layer of glycolipids and fatty
● Like capsule acids
→ Bacteria with distinct, firmly attached ● HYDROXYMETHOXY ACID / MYCOLIC
gelatinous layer have a capsule ACID - bound to the exterior of the cell wall
→ Bacteria with irregular, slimy fuzz layer has
a glycocalyx ● ACID-FAST ORGANISMS
● Used to adhere to surfaces (i.e., catheters) - →Mycobacterium
pacemakers → Isospora
● S. epidermidis: biofilms → Legionella micdadei
● SLIME LAYER - loosely arranged → Cryptosporidium
extracellular material that surrounds bacterial → Nocardia
cells; found in biofilm '
● OTHER CLINICALLY RELEVANT
CELL WALL: ORGANISMS WITH CELL WALL
→ Also known as the peptidoglycan layer or CONTAINING MYCOLIC ACID
murein layer → Nocardia
→ Rhodococcus
● Functions: → Gordonia
a) Protects bacteria against osmotic → Tsukamurella
pressure. → Corynebacterium
b) Gives shape to the bacteria
c) Confer the gram's reaction of the d) BACTERIA WITHOUT CELL WALL
bacteria CONTAIN STEROLS IN THEIR CELL
→ (6+/6-) MEMBRANE.
d) A usual target of anti-microbial drugs → MYCOPLASMA
(e.g., penicillin’s, cephalosporins) → UREAPLASMA

● Important for identification

a) GRAM-POSITIVE CELL WALL
→ Composed of a very thick protective
peptidoglycan (murein) layer
→ Consists of glycan chains of alternating N-
acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAG) and N-acety-D-
muramic acid (NAM)
● TEICHOIC ACID
→ negatively charged and contributes to the
negativity of the cell wall; it may also bind and
regulate the movement of cations into and out
of the cell