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Bacteriology Topic 2
Bacteriology Topic 2
1. Cell or plasma membrane (separates the cell from the outer environment)
3. Cytoplasm.
It is important to know the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; allows
us to control disease-causing bacteria without harming our own cells.
A. Appendages
1. Pili - straight hairlike appendages; they are usually short; all gram negative
bacteria have pili; function is to attach bacteria to other bacteria, other cells,
or other surfaces (not for locomotion):
a. sex pili allow one bacterial cell to adhere to another (cells can actually
exchange genetic material through the pili - this is the closest bacteria
get to sexual reproduction!); called conjugation.
b. other types of pili attach bacteria to plant or animal cells to maintain
themselves in a favorable environment; if pili have been lost (maybe due
to a mutation) in disease-causing bacteria, the bacteria will not be able to
establish an infection.
2. Flagella (singular – flagellum) - long, thin structures that extend outward from
the surface of the envelope; function is locomotion - bacteria with flagella are
motile; flagella rotate to propel the bacterium. Bacteria can have 1, 2, or many
flagella (ex. of a bacteria with many flagella – Salmonella).
3. Axial Filaments - bundles of flagella which wrap around the cell body between
the cell wall and the outer membrane; together they form a helical bulge that
moves like a corkscrew as the entrapped flagella turn & propel the cell; found
only in one type of bacteria called the spirochetes; this unique form of
movement is well suited to the viscous environment (mud & mucous) where the
bacteria is generally found. Ex. of bacteria with a.f. – Treponema (causes
syphilis) and Borrelia (causes Lyme disease).
1. Glycocalyx - found in most bacteria; slimy or gummy substance that becomes
the outermost layer of the cell envelope; a thick glycocalyx is often called a
capsule; a thin glycocalyx is often called a slime layer; functions:
b. helps a cell adhere to a surface where conditions are favorable for
growth
More about LPS’s – These compounds are endotoxins and are only released when
the bacteria die and their cell walls are broken down. Endotoxins cause fever
and dilate blood vessels (drop in blood pressure results). Killing the bacteria
may increase the concentrations of this toxin!
3. The Cell Wall - The structure described below is found in all eubacteria
except the mycoplasmas (these bacteria lack a cell wall); in archaeobacteria, the
cell walls are composed of a different type of peptidoglycan or protein & some
do not have cell walls. In gram negative bacteria, the cell wall lies just inside
the periplasm; in gram positive bacteria, it lies just inside the glycocalyx, if one
exists.
3.) When linked together these chains create the single rigid mesh-
like molecule that forms the bacterial cell wall (resembles a chain
link fence!)
4.) A major difference between G(+) & G(-) bacterial cell walls:
b. Cell Wall Function – In many cases, the cell wall is very porous and does
not regulate the transport of substances into the cell. Two major
functions of the cell wall are maintaining shape and withstanding turgor
pressure. Both are discussed below.
1.) Cell Shape - one fxn. of the cell wall is to confer shape on the
bacterium; most bacteria fall into one of these general groups.
However, some bacteria have irregular shapes. Even bacteria of
the same kind or within the same culture sometimes vary in size
and shape (especially in aging cultures).
c. Mycoplasmas - group of bacteria that lack a cell wall; they avoid lysis
from turgor pressure by maintaining a nearly equal pressure between
their cytoplasm and their external environment by actively pumping
sodium ions out of the cell; additionally, their cell membranes are
strengthened because they contain cholesterol, a lipid found in
eukaryotic cell membranes.
4. Periplasm - used to be called a space, because of the way it looked in electron
micrographs; found between the cell membrane and the peptidoglycan cell wall;
therefore, only found in gram negative cells; composed of a gelatinous material
containing proteins; one function of these proteins is that break down certain
nutrients into smaller molecules that can pass through the cell membrane.
5. Plasma or Cell Membrane - membrane that encloses the cytoplasm of any cell;
major function is to contain the cytoplasm and to transport and regulate what
comes in and what goes out of the cell. Many prokaryotic cell membranes are
similar to eukaryotic cell membranes. Its structure is referred to as the Fluid
Mosaic Model, because the structure behaves more like a fluid than a solid.
Contains:
C. Cytoplasm - matrix composed primarily of water (90%) & proteins. Contains the
following:
1. Nucleoid - or nuclear region is a mass of DNA; well defined, although it is not
surrounded by a membrane; most of a bacterium's DNA is arranged in a single
circular molecule called a chromosome; some bacteria also contains smaller
circular DNA molecules called plasmids.
2. Ribosomes - site of protein synthesis; prokaryotic ribosomes are smaller than
eukaryotic ribosomes. Antibiotics such as tetracycline, erythromycin, and
streptomycin can specifically target bacterial ribosomes & not harm the host's
eukaryotic ribosomes.
Organisms are classified into any particular group because they have certain common
characteristics. Classification of organisms 1.) establishes the criteria for identifying
organisms; 2.) it arranges related organisms into groups based on shared
characteristics; and 3.) it provides important information on how organisms evolved.
A classification system based on collecting individuals into groups and groups into
progressively more inclusive and broader groups is called a hierarchical scheme of
classification. A basic principle of taxonomy is that members of higher-level groups
share fewer characteristics than those in lower-level groups. For example, humans
have backbones like all other vertebrates, but they share fewer characteristics with
fish and birds than with other mammals. Likewise, nearly all bacteria have a cell wall,
but in some the wall is G(+) and in others it is G (-).
A Swedish biologist names Carolus Linnaeus devised a taxonomic scheme that was both
practical and adaptable to expanding information. The Linnaean scheme remains the
basis for biological classification today in 2 regards: 1.) we continue to group
organisms hierarchically, & 2.) we use his nomenclature
Kingdom
Phylum (division)
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Specific epithet
[Subphylum - Vertebrata]
1. Artificial - the Linnaean scheme; he grouped organisms on the basis of visible
similarities, but does not indicate how closely organisms are related.
After the discovery of the archaeobacteria in the 1970’s, scientists suggested that
these organisms represented a third cell type and they proposed another scheme
for the evolution of living things from a universal common ancestor. This common
ancestor gave rise to the archaeobacteria, the urkaryotes, and the eubacteria (true
bacteria). They hypothesized a group of urkaryotes that gave rise to the
eukaryotes directly rather than by way of the prokaryotes. See figure 9.11 on p.
232. In 1990 Woese suggested a new taxonomic category, the domain, to be
erected above the level of kingdom. The three domains Woese proposes are shown
in Figure 9.13 on p. 234. The domain Eukarya contains all those kingdoms of
eukaryotic organism (animals, plants, fungi, and protists). The traditional kingdom
Monera has been divided into 2 domains: the domain Bacteria (true bacteria ) and
the domain Arachaea. The Archaea exhibit many differences from the Bacteria:
First amino acid in proteins not methionine like in other bacteria and
eukaryotes
C. Section 4 - Aerobic Rods & Cocci - large & diverse group. Ex. of species:
Brucella – brucellosis
Francisella - tularemia
D. Section 5 - Facultatively Anaerobic Rods - Grouped into 3 Families; many can
be distinguished by their characteristic fermentation reactions; includes the
enterics; Examples:
E. Section 6 - Anaerobic Straight, Curved, & Helical Rods - most abundant
microbes in mouth & intestinal tract; Example: Bacteroides gingivalis - causes
gingvivitis & peridontal disease. Other species cause digestive & respiratory
infections,UTI’s, infections of wounds.
Rickettsia spp. - typhus (transmitted by body lice & rat fleas), Rocky Mt.
urethritis or NGU.
II. MYCOPLASMAS (eubacteria) - Section 10 - All lack a rigid cell wall. To maintain
turgor pressure: 1.) their cell membrane contain sterols to add strength (sterols
are also found in eukaryotic cell membranes), and 2.) they maintain their cytoplasm
at the same pressure as their external environment by actively pumping sodium ion
out of the cell. All are parasites of humans, animals, or plants. Almost all are
obligate fermenters (they ferment even in the presence of oxygen). Their colonies
have a distinctive fried egg appearance. They have various shapes, but when growth
conditions are suboptimal, they become distorted, forming long strands that
resemble fungi (thus accounting for the name myco , which means "fungus"). Their
wall-less structure allows them to squeeze through even the tiny pores in filters
used to sterilize liquids. Mycoplasma pneumoniae - common cold & primary atypical
pneumonia (walking pneumonia)
agar plates.
Staphylococcus aureus - major human pathogen; can infect almost any tissue
in the body; causes impetigo, pneumonia, food poisoning; causes many
nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections.
B. Section 13 - Endospore-Forming Rods & Cocci - These bacteria are the most
heat-resistant living things; they are used as an index of sterilization; location
of endospore can be used to distinguish species. Some examples:
Clostridium spp. - all strict anaerobes, inhabiting soil & mud; C. tetani causes
V. OTHER SECTIONS
B. Section 29 - Streptomyces & Related Genera - These bacteria are also
actinomycetes. Abundant in most soils (important in breakdown of organic
matter). Odor of freshly turned soil comes from volatile compounds produced
by these bacteria. Colonies have pastel colors, soil-like odor, & are hard & stick
into agar. Members of this genus produce most of antibiotics in current us