Classification and nomenclature of microorganisms.

Morphology of microorganisms

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tomas Kačergius

Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine
Vilnius University
 Classification of the living things (organisms)

Classification – that is an integral part of systematics, which divide the

organisms into taxa on the basis of their common characteristics.

Systematics – that is grouping of the living things (organisms) and their

classification according to certain characteristics.

All living things (organisms) are divided into five kingdoms (the five-
kingdom system of classification):
• Monera (Prokaryotae)
• Protista
• Fungi
• Plantae
• Animalia
The three-domain classification system
of the living things (organisms)

CK-12 Foundation/Zachary Wilson

 Classification (taxonomy) of bacteria

Taxon – that is a group of organisms (bacteria), which have certain

characteristics of homogeneity.

Domain BACTERIA

Kingdom Monera (Prokaryotae)

Phylum Gracilicutes
Class Scotobacteria
Order Spirochaetales
Family Spirochaetaceae
Genus Treponema
Species T. pallidum

Species – that is entirety of organisms (bacteria) with common origin and close
genotype (the degree of DNA homology is more than 60%).
 Criteria of bacterial classification

• Morphological characteristics

• Staining properties

• Cultural peculiarities

• Physiological characteristics

• Biochemical properties

• Antigenic structure

• Genotypic characteristics
 Definition of nomenclature

Nomenclature – that is the naming of microorganisms in the taxonomic

group according to international rules.

• Names are written in Latin.

• Name of species is composed of two words:

• the first – means genus;
• the second – characterizes the distinctive feature of the microorganism
of the certain species.

Example: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)

Classification of viruses

http://www.onlinebiologynotes.com
 Classification of fungi

Fungi kingdom is divided into two phyla:

• Zygomycota – fungi that produce zygotes during their sexual reproduction.

• Dikaryomycota – in these fungi dikaryotic life cycle includes extended

dikaryotic phase after sexual conjugation.

Phylum Dikaryomycota is divided into two subphyla:

• Ascomycotina – sexual reproduction occurs through fusion of two compatible
nuclei to form diploid nucleus followed by meiosis to yield
haploid progeny; entire process occurs within sac called
ascus, and the resultant spores are called ascospores.
• Basidiomycotina – sexual reproduction takes place within sac called basidium;
the resultant spores are called basidiospores.

Deuteromycotina (Fungi imperfecti) – sexual stage has not been observed in these
fungi (e.g., Candida, Trichosporon,
Epidermophyton genera).
 Classification of protozoa

Protozoa, which belong to the kingdom of Protista, are classified into seven phyla:

• Metamonada – protozoa with flagella (e.g., Giardia)

• Parabasala – protozoa with flagella (e.g., Trichomonas)

• Percolozoa – protozoa with flagella (e.g., Naegleria)

• Euglenozoa – protozoa with flagella (e.g., Leishmania, Trypanosoma)

• Amoebozoa – protozoa that move like amebae (e.g., Entamoeba)

• Sporozoa – non-motile protozoa (e.g., Toxoplasma, Plasmodium)

• Ciliophora – protozoa that move using cilia (e.g., Balantidium coli)

Morphology and arrangement of spherical bacteria (cocci)

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 Morphology of the rod-shaped bacteria

• Classification of bacteria according to their length:

• long rods – length is more than 3 µm;
• short rods – 1.5-3 µm;
• very short rods (coccobacilli) – length is less than 1 µm.

• Classification of bacteria according to their cell ends:

• rods with rounded ends;
• rods with sharp ends;
• rods with rectangular (cutted) ends;
• rods with thickened ends (club form);
• rods with barrel shape (ovoid form).

• Classification of bacteria according to their diameter:

• thin rods – 0.25-0.5 µm;
• thick rods – 0.5-1.5 µm.
Arrangement of the rod-shaped bacteria

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Morphology of spiral bacteria

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Spirochetes pathogenic for human

• Treponemes (e.g., Treponema pallidum)

• Borreliae (e.g., Borrelia burgdorferi)

• Leptospires (e.g., Leptospira interrogans)

Morphology of Treponema pallidum

Copyright © by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphology of Borrelia burgdorferi

© LymeNet Europe
Morphology of Leptospira interrogans

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/NCID/HIP/Janice Carr

 Morphology of viruses
(spherical-shaped viruses)

Copyright © by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 Morphology of viruses
(rod-shaped viruses)

Copyright © by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 Morphology of viruses
(filamentous viruses)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Dr. Frederick A. Murphy

 Morphology of viruses
(complex-shaped viruses)

https://professorrichardsonresearch.wordpress.com/research/
 Morphology of fungi

Copyright © by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 Morphology of protozoa

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Plasmodium vivax

Toxoplasma gondii Leishmania donovanii

Copyright © by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
 Morphology of protozoa

Balantidium coli

Entamoeba histolyticum

Copyright © by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 Literature

1. Black J. G., Black L. J. Microbiology: principles and explorations.

9th edition. Willey, New Jersey, 2015.

2. Murray P. R., Rosenthal K. S., Phaller M. A. Medical microbiology.

8th edition. Elsevier Inc., Philadelphia, 2015.