BACTERIA

Bacteria are microbes with a cell structure simpler than that of many other organisms. Their
control centre, containing the genetic information, is contained in a single loop of DNA. Some
bacteria have an extra circle of genetic material called a plasmid rather than a nucleus. The
plasmid often contains genes that give the bacterium some advantage over other bacteria. For
example it may contain a gene that makes the bacterium resistant to a certain antibiotic.

One way of classifying bacteria is by shape. There are three basic shapes.
 Spherical: Bacteria shaped like a ball are called cocci, and a single bacterium is a
coccus. Examples include the streptococcus group, responsible for “strep throat.”
 are caused by bacteria of this shape.
 Rod-shaped: These are known as bacilli (singular bacillus). Some rod-shaped bacteria are
curved. These are known as vibrio. Examples of rod-shaped bacteria include Bacillus
anthracis (B. anthracis), or anthrax.
 Spiral: These are known as spirilla (singular spirillus). If their coil is very tight they are
known as spirochetes. Leptospirosis, Lyme disease, and syphilis

A bacterial cell includes:

• Capsule: A layer found on the outside of the cell wall in some bacteria.
• Cell wall: A layer that is made of a polymer called peptidoglycan. The cell wall gives the
bacteria its shape. It is located outside the plasma membrane . The cell wall is thicker in
some bacteria, called Gram positive bacteria.
• Plasma membrane: Found within the cell wall, this generates energy and transports
chemicals. The membrane is permeable, which means that substances can pass through
it.
• Cytoplasm: A gelatinous substance inside the plasma membrane that contains genetic
material and ribosomes.
 • DNA: This contains all the genetic instructions used in the development and function of
the bacterium. It is located inside the cytoplasm.
• Ribosomes: This is where proteins are made, or synthesized. Ribosomes are complex
particles made up of RNA-rich granules.
• Flagellum: This is used for movement, to propel some types of bacteria. There are some
bacteria that can have more than one.
• Pili: These hair-like appendages on the outside of the cell allow it to stick to surfaces and
transfer genetic material to other cells. This can contribute to the spread of illness in
humans.

Bacteria feed in different ways.

Heterotrophic bacteria, or heterotrophs, get their energy through consuming organic carbon.
Most absorb dead organic material, such as decomposing flesh. Some of these parasitic
bacteria kill their host, while others help them.

Autotrophic bacteria (or just autotrophs) make their own food, either through either:
• photosynthesis, using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide, or
• chemosynthesis, using carbon dioxide, water, and chemicals such as ammonia, nitrogen,
sulfur, and others

Bacteria that use photosynthesis are called photoautotrophs. Some types, for example
cyanobacteria, produce oxygen. These probably played a vital role in creating the oxygen in the
earth’s atmosphere. Others, such as heliobacteria, do not produce oxygen.
Those that use chemosynthesis are known as chemoautotrophs. These bacteria are commonly
found in ocean vents and in the roots of legumes, such as alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils,
and peanuts.
Bacteria may reproduce and change using the following methods:

• Binary fission: An asexual form of reproduction, in which a cell continues to grow until a
new cell wall grows through the center, forming two cells. These separate, making two
cells with the same genetic material.

• Transfer of genetic material: Cells acquire new genetic material through processes
known as conjugation, transformation, or transduction. These processes can make
bacteria stronger and more able to resist threats, such as antibiotic medication.
 • Spores: When some types of bacteria are low on resources, they can form spores.
Spores hold the organism’s DNA material and contain the enzymes needed for
germination. They are very resistant to environmental stresses. The spores can remain
inactive for centuries, until the right conditions occur. Then they can reactivate and
become bacteria.

• Budding is a form of asexual reproduction that results in the formation of a new

organism by the growth of an outgrowth or bud from an older one.

Role of bacteria in biotechnology

• Food production
Fermenting milk using microorganisms is as old as domesticating herd animals, which began
around 14,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. Milk is fermented by Lactobacillus; however,
some cheeses, like blue cheese are made with a fungi (Penicillium). Similarly, certain dessert
wines are made from the “noble rot” of the fungus Botrytis cinerea.

 Protein production
Protein production in E.coli was the new stage in biotechnology because it used
recombinant DNA technology instead of traditional selection techniques. The first
human protein produced in E. coli in 1978 was insulin, followed by human growth
hormones.

Agriculture
The microbe Agrobacterium tumefaciens has a plasmid, Ti, that transfers some of its genes into
the plant genome. A. tumefaciens is used to make transgenic plants

Medical field

Bioremediation
Microbial bioremediation is used to remove agricultural chemicals (pesticides, fertilizers)
that leach from the soil into ground water and the subsurface.