CHAPTER 1:

BACTERIAL CELL STRUCTURE,

PHYSIOLOGY, METABOLISM AND
GENETICS

Prepared by: Mary Rose F. Lirio, RMT, MSMT

REMINDERS
 This presentation is audio enabled.
 Click the play audio icon in each slide presentation
to listen to the faculty discussion of each slide
content.
Learning Objectives
 To be able to know and understand the microbial
taxonomy, nomenclature, bacterial genetics,
metabolism and structure and the different host
microorganism interactions.
 To be able to understand the basic concepts of
prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and viral and
bacterial cell structure physiology and metabolism.
OUTLINE
I. Overview of the Microbial World
II. Classification/Taxonomy
III. Comparison of Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cell
structure
IV. Bacterial Morphology
V. Microbial Growth and Nutrition
VI. Bacterial Growth
OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD

Beasties

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

 OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD

1. Bacteria
2. Parasites
3. Fungi
4. Viruses
 OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD
PROKARYOTES EUKARYOTES
 0.4-2 µm in Diameter  10-100 µm in Diameter
 0.5-5 µm in length  >10 µm in length
 Absence of Nucleus  Presence of Nucleus
 Absence of membrane  Presence of membrane
bound organelles bound organelles
OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD
OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD

Svedberg units
 OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD
CHARACTERISTIC PROKARYOTE EUKARYOTE
Electron Transport In the cell membrane (if In the Inner membrane
present); No of Mitochondria nd
mitochondria chloroplasts
Sterols in Cytoplasmic Absent Present
membrane

Plasma membrane Lacks Carbohydrates Also contains Glycolipids

& Glycoprotiens

Cell wall (If present) Peptidoglycan in most Cellulose, phenolic

bacteria polymers, lignin
(plants), chitin (fungi)
other glycans (algae)
OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD
CHARACTERISTIC PROKARYOTE EUKARYOTE
Glycocalyx Present Present; some
animal cells

Cilia Absent Present

Flagella (if present) Simple Complex cilia of

flagella composed
of MTs
Pili & Fimbriae Present Absent
OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD
 Bacteria
 Unicellular; Prokaryote

 Parasites
 Unicellular/Multicellular; Eukaryotes
 Motile/ Non-Motile
 OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD
 Fungi
 Heterotrophic Eukaryotes
1. Yeast
 Unicellular; Asexual Reproduction
2. Molds
 Filamentous form
 Sexual/Asexual Reproduction

3. Dimorphic
 Yeastat Incubator or Body Temp
 Mold at Room temperature
 OVERVIEW OF THE MICROBIAL
WORLD
 Viruses
 Smallest infectious particle
 DNA or RNA
 Acellular
 Obligate Intracellular Parasites
 Mostly host and/or host cell
specific

 Bacteriophage
 Virus
that infects and destroys
the bacterial cells
Classification/Taxonomy
I. Classification/Taxonomy
II. Nomenclature
III. Identification
 CLASSIFICATION/TAXONOMY
 Based on:
1. Genotype
 Base sequencing of DNA or RNA
 DNA base composition ratio

2. Phenotype
 Macroscopic & Microscopic morphology
 Staining characteristics
 Nutritional requirements
 Physiologic & Biochemical characteristics
 Susceptibility or Resistance to antibiotics or chemicals
GENERAL TAXONOMY
 Domain
 Kingdom
 Division (Phylum)
 Class
 Order

 Family
 Tribe
 Genus
 Species
 Serotype / Biotype
NOMENCLATURE
 Provides naming assignments for each organisms
 Family name is Capitalized and has an –aceae
ending
 Genus is Capitalized and followed by the species
epithet (lowercase)
 If referred as group, names are neither capitalized
nor underlined

 Ex. Staphyloccus aureus OR Staphylococcus aureus

CLASSIFICATION BY PHENOTYPIC
& GENOTYPIC CHARACTERISTICS
 Species
1. Subspecies (subsp.)
2. Serovarieties (serovar)
3. Biovarieties (biovar)
4. Phage typing

 Strain
 Species with different susceptibility patterns
 Prokaryotic & Eukaryotic Cell
Structure
PROKARYOTES EUKARYOTES
I. Cytoplasmic I. Cytoplasmic
Structures Structures
II. Cell Envelope II. Cell Envelope
structures structures
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell
Structure
PROKARYOTES
A. Cytoplasmic B. Cell Envelope
Structures structures
I. 70 S Ribosomes I. Plasma membrane
II. Cytoplasmic II. Cell wall
Granules III. Surface Polymers
III. Endospores
IV. Cell Appendages
IV. Spores
 PROKARYOTES
A. Cytoplasmic Strutures
 70S Ribosomes
 Site of protein Biosynthesis

 Cytoplasmic Granules
 Consists of:
 Glycogen
 Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate
 Polyphosphates
 PROKARYOTES
A. Cytoplasmic
Strutures
 Endospores  Spores
 Highly resistant to:  Highly Refractile bodies
 Chemical agents that appear as unstained
 Temperature change areas in the cell
 Starvation, dehydration  Examples:
 UV & Gamma radiation  Clostridium tetani
 desiccation

 Examples:
 Bacillus & Clostridium
PROKARYOTES
 Cell Envelope Structures
 Plasma membrane
 Made of phospholipids and proteins
 Function: Act as an osmotic barrier and as a location of ETC
 PROKARYOTES
 Cell Envelope
Structures
 Cell wall
 Function: maintains
the shape of cell &
Prevents bursting of
the cell

 2 Major Types of Cell

Wall:
1. Gram Positive
2. Gram Negative
PROKARYOTES
 Cell Envelope Structures
 Cell wall
Gram + Gram -
Peptidoglycan Thick Thin
Teichoic & Lipoteichoic Present Absent
acid
LPS contents none High
Periplasm & Outer Absent Present
membrane
Cytoplasmic Present Present
membrane
PROKARYOTES
 Cell Envelope Structures
 Cell wall
Gram + Gram -
Peptidoglycan Thick Thin
Teichoic & Lipoteichoic Present Absent
acid
 PROKARYOTES
 Cell wall
Gram
3R + Gram -
Outer membrane & Periplasmic space Absent Present
LPS contents none High
Cytoplasmic membrane Present Present

 Outer membrane  3 Regions of LPS

contains: 1. Antigenic O
1. Proteins 2. Core Polysaccharie
2. Phospholipids 3. Inner Lipid A
3. LPS
PROKARYOTES
 Cell Envelope Structures
 Cell wall
 Acid Fast cell wall
 It contains a waxy layer of glycolipids and
fatty acids
 Examples: Mycobacterium spp. and Nocardia

 Absence of cell wall

 Examples: Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma
 Contain sterols in their cell membrane
 PROKARYOTES
 Cell Envelope Structures
 Surface Polymers
 Capsule
 Discrete organized covering produced by
pathogenic bacteria
 Act as virulence factors

 India ink = clear are “halo-like”

 Slime Layers
 PROKARYOTES
 Cell Appendages
 Flagella
 Exterior protein filaments for locomotion

 Pili
 Non-motile, long, hollow protein tubes
 Connect 2 bacterial cells & Mediate DNA
exchange
 Fimbriae
 Proteinaceous, hairlike appendages for
adherence.
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell
Structure
EUKARYOTES
A. Cytoplasmic
Structures
A. Nucleus E. Golgi Apparatus
B. Nucleolus F. Mitochondria
C. Endoplasmic G. Lysosomes
Reticulum H. Peroxisomes
D. Ribosomes I. Chloroplasts
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cell
Structure
EUKARYOTES
A. Cell Envelope
Structures
A. Plasma membrane
B. Cell wall
C. Motility organelles
Cilia
Flagella
*Kinetosome*
Bacterial Morphology
A. Microscopic Shapes
B. Common Stains
 Bacterial Morphology
A. Microscopic
Shapes
1. Cocci
2. Bacilli
3. Spirochetes
 Bacterial Morphology
A. Microscopic Shapes
1. Cocci
 Diplococci – pairs
 Streptococci – chains
 Staphylococci – irregular
or clusters “bunch of
grapes”
 Tetrads – groups of four
 Sarcinae – cuboidal
arrangement of 8 or more
 Bacterial Morphology
A. Microscopic Shapes
1. Bacilli
 Diplobacilli-pairs
 Streptobacilli -chains
 Palisade -Group side by side
 Coccobacilli -Slightly longer than they are wide
Gram Stain Results
Bacterial Morphology
 Common Stains
1. Gram stain
2. Acid-Fast stains
3. Acridine orange
4. Calcofluor White
5. Methylene Blue
6. Lactophenol Cotton Blue
7. India Ink
8. Endospore stain
Bacterial Morphology
 Common Stains
1. Gram stain
 Expected Results:
 Gram positive = Blue to Purple
 Gram negative = Pink
Bacterial Morphology
 Common Stains
 Acid Fast Stain

(-) result Blue

(+) result Red

 Bacterial Morphology
 Common Stains
 Acridine Orange
 Stains both gram (+) & gram (-) bacteria,
living or dead.
(+) result Bright Orange

 Calcofluor White
 for the visualization of fungal cultures

(+) result Bright Apple green/

Blue white
Bacterial Morphology
 Common Stains
 Methylene Blue
 Used forthe observation
of metachromatic
Granules

 Lactophenol Cotton Blue

 Used to stain medically
important fungi grown in
slide culture.
 Bacterial Morphology
 Common Stains
 India Ink
 Negative stain used to visualize
capsule surrounding yeast
(+) result Dark background and clear
capsule

 Endospore stain
 Primary stain: Malachite green
 Counterstain: Safranin
(+) result Endospores appear green
within pink or red bacterial cells
 Microbial Growth and Nutrition
 Major nutritional needs
 Carbon source
 Nitrogen source
 Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

 Nutritional requirements for growth

 Autotroph
 CO2, water & inorganic salts
 Heterotroph
 Organic source of carbon
Types of Growth Media
1. Minimal medium
2. Nutrient medium
3. Enriched medium
4. Selective medium
5. Differential medium
6. Transport medium
Environmental Factors Influencing Growth

 pH
 7.-7.5
 Temperature
 Psychrophiles
 10 to 20 ̊C
 Mesophiles
 20 to 40 ̊C
 Thermophiles
 50 to 60 ̊C
Environmental Factors Influencing Growth

 Gaseous composition of the atmosphere

 Obligate aerobes
 Aerotolerant anerobes
 Obligate anaerobes
 Facultative anaerobes
 Capnophilic
 Microaerophilic
 Halophilic
Growth Curve
  Thank you for listening!

 References:
 Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology, 5th ed.
By Mahon, Lehman and Manuselis
 Bailey and Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology
13th Ed.