Bacterial Cell Structure

Microbiology
Unit I

Muhammad Iqbal
KMU
 OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lecture the students will be able to:
• Define Bacteria
• Give characteristics of bacterial cell
• Classify Bacteria on the basis of:
a. Morphology
b.Nutrition
c. Temperature
d.PH
• Give some examples of Gram +ve and
Gram –ve bacteria
2
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 CHARACTERISTICS OF BACTERIA
• Bacteria are prokaryotic unicellular organisms
• DNA and RNA both are present
• Division (reproduction) by Binary fission
• No mitochondria and nuclear membrane
• Rigid cell wall containing peptidoglycan

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Shape and size
Three principal shapes of bacteria exist:
• Round (cocci; singular, coccus)
• Rods (bacilli; singular, bacillus)
• Curved or twisted rods (spirilla; singular,
spirillum)

Cocci Bacilli
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• Typical bacteria measure 2-8 m in length and 0.2-2
m in width.
• Form associations such as chains, clusters, and
tetrads.

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 Aerotolerance
• Strict Aerobes: Bacteria that grow only in the presence
molecular oxygen.
e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Strict Anaerobes: are which can grow only in the
absence of molecular oxygen.
e.g. Clostridium tetani
• Facultative anaerobes: They can grow both in the
presence as well as absence of molecular oxygen. E.g.
Escherichia coli

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Bacterial Structure

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 A typical bacterial features
• Flagella (Singular: flagellum) are thread like
structures for locomotion in most motile
bacteria.
• Pili (singular: pilus) Appendages on bacterial cell
Shorter than flagella used for transfer of genetic
material from one to another (sex pilli)
• Fimbriae (singular: Fimbria) Appendages on
bacterial cell Shorter than pili used for
attachment to contact surfaces

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Flagellar pattern

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 Cont....
• On the basis of flagella the bacteria can be classified: –
i) Atrichos: – These bacteria has no flagella. Example:
-Corynebacterium diptherae.
ii) Monotrichous: – One flagellum is attached to one end of
the bacteria cell. Example: – Vibro cholera.
iii) Lophotrichous: – Bunch of flagella is attached to one end
of the bacteria cell. Example: – Pseudomonas.
iv) Amphitrichous: – Bunch of flagella arising from both end
of the bacteria cell. Example: – Rhodospirillum rubrum.
v) Peritrichous : – The flagella are evenly distributed
surrounding the entire bacterial cell. Example: -Bacillus.

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• Capsule - Made of polysaccharides which
protects bacteria from phagocytes.
• Cell wall:
• Made up of peptidoglycan.
– Responsible for the rigidity of bacterial cell.
• Cell Membrane:
– Inner to cell wall, there is a delicate cytoplasmic
membrane which surrounds the cytoplasm.

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• Ribosome made up of RNA and protein. It is a factory of
protein synthesis.
• Mesosome An invagination of cell membrane which helps
in cell division.
• Nucleoid (Genetic material) Unlike virus, bacteria have
both DNA and RNA. It contains genetic charateristics.
• Periplasm is the space between cytoplasmic membrane
and outer membrane of Gm-ve bacteria which contains
hydrolytic and Beta lactamase enzyme to degrade
substances like penicillin.
• Plasmid A fragment of extrachromosomal DNA segment
which contains different genes for resistance to antibiotic.

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• Endospore – The process of formation of spore is
known as sporulation.
Bacillus species can form spores.
It is produced within the cell, one spore is formed within
a single bacterial cell.
• It is resistant to heat, UV light, most chemicals and
desiccation.
• When conditions are favorable, the spore germinates
and produces a fresh vegetative cell.

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 Endotoxin
Toxin which is released only upon
lysis of bacterial cell. Found only in G –ve.
It is heat-resistant

 Exotoxin
Toxin released by Viable bacterial cells.
Found mostly in G +ve but in some G –ve as
well.
It is heat-labile

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 Nutrition based Classification
►Carbon Source:
Microorganisms are classified into two groups on the basis of
sources of carbon as autotrophs and hetrotrophs.
Autotrophs are the microorganisms which derive carbon
from inorganic compounds like CO2.
Hetrotrophs are the microorganisms which derive carbon
from different organic compounds like sugar, alcohol etc.
►

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 Cont…
Energy Source:
Microorganisms depend upon different sources of
energy. The organisms which depend on sunlight as a
major source of energy are called phototrophs.
Other organisms which use chemicals as a source of
energy are called chemotrophs.
Autotrophs may either use sunlight or chemical
compouds as energy source; they are called
photoautotrophs and chemoautotrophs
respectively.

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Likewise, hetrotrophs may either use sunlight or
chemical compouds as energy source; they are
called photohetrotrophs and chemohetrotrophs
respectively.

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 Temperature Based Classification

Regarding temperature they are grouped into

three categories

1- Psychrophiles Love to grow in the range of 0 0C - 25

0C

2- Mesophiles Love to grow between 25 0C - 40 0C

3- Thermophiles Love to grow in the range of 40 0C -
85 0C
Some species even grow at 98 0C as in hot sulfur
spring
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 http://biology.homeomagnet.com/classification-of-bacteria/

• Psychrophilic bacteria: -These type of bacteria grows just

above the freezing temperature, they can cause
contamination of food stored in the refrigerator. Example:
-Pseudomonas.
ii) Mesophilic bacteria: -These bacteria grow at normal
temperature in the water bodies, food products, liberate gas
and cause change in texture. Example: -Lactobacillus.
iii) Thermophilic bacteria: – These types of bacteria can
survive at higher temperature and can withstand the
pasteurization temperature. Example: – Clostridium, Bacillus.
iv) Thermophilic bacteria: – These types of bacteria can
survive pasteurization but cannot grow at the pasteurization
temperature. Example: – Micrococcus, Streptococcus.

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 PH Based Classification
Regarding PH they are grouped into three
categories

1- Acidophiles Love to grow in the range

of PH between 0-6
2- Neutrophiles Love to grow between
6-8 PH
3- Alkalophiles Love to grow at PH
above 8
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 Beneficial and Harmful Bacteria
• Truly speaking, all of the bacteria are potentially
harmful. Any how, about 97 % bacteria are
beneficial and 3 % harmful. Beneficial bacteria
include normal flora and other industrial and
environmental bacteria.

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 Some Medically Important Bacteria
1- Gram Positive:
• Streptococcus—causes pneumonia, pharyngitis, cellulitis
• Staphylococcus—abscess of skin and other organs, Food
poisoning
• Bacillus (spore forming rods)—causes Anthrax
• Clostridium (spore forming rods)— Tetanus, botulism
• Corynebacterium—diphtheria
• Listeria—Meningitis
• Actinomyces— Actinomycosis

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 Cont…
2- Gram Negative:
• Neisseria—Gonorrhea, Meningitis
• Yersinia—Plague
• Escherichia—Urinary tract infection, diarrhea
• Salmonella—Typhoid fever
• Vibrio—Cholera
• Shigella—Enterocolitis
• Haemophilus—Meningitis
• Bordetella—Whooping cough
• Pseudomonas—Pneumonia, UTI
• Bacteroides—Peritonitis
3- Acid Fast
• Mycobacterium—Tuberculosis, Leprasy

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