BACTERIAL MORPHOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, METABOLISM & GENETICS

Shape
1. Cocci – spherical
a. Diplococci – pair
b. Streptococci - chains
c. Staphylococci – clusters
d. Sarcina – tetrads

2. Bacilli – rod-shaped
a. Coccobacilli – short (e.g Escherichia coli)
b. Palisades – side by side
 There’s no bacilli in chains in gram negative

3. Spirochetes – spiral

4. Others
a. Fusobacterium – enlarged rod
b. Vibrio – comma form
c. Bdellovibrio – comma s form
d. Corynebacteriaceae – club rod
e. Helicobacter pylori – helical form
f. Borrelia burgdorferi – corkscrew s form
g. Filamentous

Common stains
1. Acridine orange
- Fluorochrome dye that stains both gram (+) and gram (-) bacteria, living or dead
- Binds the nucleic acid of cell and fluoresces as bright orange
- Used to locate bacteria in blood cultures and other specimens where discerning bacteria
might be difficult

2. Calcofluor white
- Fluorchrome that binds to chitin in fungal cell walls
- Fluoresces as bright apple-green or blue-white
- The original blueing agent used in high-volume laundries to whiten yellow-appearing white
cotton or other fabrics

3. Methylene blue
- Traditionally used to stain Corynebacterium diphtheriae for observation of metachromatic
granules (combination of dark and light)
- Used as counterstain in acid-fast staining

4. Lactophenol cotton blue

- Used to stain the cell walls of medically important fungi grown in slide culture

5. India ink
- Negative stain
- Used to visualize the capsule surrounding the yeast, eg. Cryptococcus spp.
- Fine ink particles are excluded from the capsule, leaving a dark background and a clear
capsule surrounding the yeasts.

MICROBIAL GROWTH AND NUTRITION

 All bacteria require the following:

1. Carbon source – synthesis of cell components
 Autotroph – require carbon dioxide to grow
 Heterotroph – require organic compounds

2. Nitrogen source – for protein synthesis

3. Water

4. Energy source
 Phototroph – uses light for energy
 Chemotroph – uses chemical energy
 Organotroph – uses organic compounds
 Lithotroph – inorganic compounds

5. Metallic elements – for enzyme activation

6. Organic substances
7. High osmotic pressure – archaebacteria