CHAPTER IV

DIVERSITY OF
MICROORGANISM

BACTERIA
 BACTERIA

23 phyla
32 classes
5 subclasses
77 orders
14 suborders
182 families
871 genera
5,007 species
 BACTERIA

Morphologic examination of bacteria is based on cell

shape, staining reaction, motility, colony, colony
morphology, atmospheric requirements, nutritional
requirements, biochemical and metabolic activities,
specific enzymes that the organism produces,
pathogenicity, and genetic composition.
BACTERIAL MORPHOLOGY BASED
ON SIZES, SHAPES, ARRANGEMENT
OF BACTERIAL CELLS
 BACTERIA

Bacteria can be categorized according to their shape and

arrangement.

Source: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/shapes-of-
bacteria- spherical-rod-like-and-spiral-bacteria-
gm943415490-257769671
 BACTERIA

Cocci are bacteria

with spherical
shape and they
appear as round
berries. The
arrangement of
their cells is a
characteristics of a
specific genus.

Source: https://quizlet.com/133652735/bio-120-
deblieu-
 BACTERIA
Bacilli (bacillus “little staff”) are the rod shape or
cylindrical
shaped bacteria.
• Diplobacilli – occurs singly, in pairs
• Coccobacilli – broad and long cells
• Streptobacilli – short or long chains of bacilli
They may differ in length and in width and their ends
maybe rounded, square, and tapered/pointed.
Pattern of Arrangement:
a. Palisade arrangement – cells lined side by side
(Corynebacterium diphteriae)
b. Rosette arrangement – arrange like cat claw
(Caulobacter)
c. Streptobacilli – chains of bacilli (streptobacillus)
Source:
https://www.shutterstock.com/search/diplobacilli
 BACTERIA
Spiral bacterial:
a. Spirilla – spiral or helical-shaped bacteria like a
corkscrew
b. Spirochetes – flexible, spiral bacteria which can move
their
bodies due to contraction of flagellum or axial
filament.

Source:
https://www.shutterstock.com/search/spirillum
 BACTERIA

Some bacteria have varied cell shapes (known as

Pleiomorphic). Others have pear-shaped-cells (Pasteuria)
and disk-shape cells (Caryophanon).

Sizes of bacteria are measured in micrometers (1um =

10−3). In general, size of bacteria ranges from 0.5 to 1 um
in width/diameter but they differ in length. A typhoid
bacterium is about 2-3 um long while others extend to
about more than 100 um in length.
BACTERIA
 BACTERIA

How many bacteria of 0.5 um in diameter are

needed in a span of 1 cm?
 ULTRA STRUCTURE OF
PROKARYOTIC BACTERIA

Source: https://biologydictionary.net/prokaryotic-
cell/
 BACTERIA
APPENDAGES
a. Flagellum
- slender, threadlike structure that is several times
the length of a bacterial cell. It provides motility for
the bacteria and can propel to as much as 100
um/second.
- Visible under EM, and can be visible under a light
microscope by application of a mordant during
staining
Flagellum can propels at a rate of 3000 body length per minute while
cheetah is a about 1500 body length per minute.
Mordant is a substance used for fixing the
stain and can increase the diameter of the
flagellum
 BACTERIA
There are various kinds of flagellation, among which are:
a. Monotricous – one flagellum is attached at one end
of
the cell (Pseudomonas)
b. Amphitrichous – one flagellum is attached at each
end
of the cell (Spirillum)
c. Lopotrichous – several flagella are attached at one
end
of the cell (some Pseudomonas)
d. Peritrichous – flagella are attached at any part of the
cell
(Escherichia coli)
Source:
https://www.dreamstime.com/flagela
- types-schematic-illustration-
bacterial- flagella-
image174334138
 BACTERIA
A. APPENDAGES
a. Fimbriae/Pilus
- Shorter, straighter and filamentous
appendages of bacteria. They differ only in
their functions.
Fimbriae is used for the adhesion of the bacterial cell to each other
and to other cell. The ability of some organisms to causes diseases
is attributes to fimbriae such as E.coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Pili are usually longer and fewer than fimbriae. They

help in the transferring of DNA between cells during
conjugation.
N. Gonorrheae is a causative agent of gonorrhea in male
and female. They can attach themselves to the
epithelial cells through their fimbriae. This
attachment prevent themselves from washing away
by mucus and body fluids.
 BACTERIA
B. Surfaces Layers
a. Capsule
- Is an envelope or slimy layer visible only under
EM. It surrounds the cell wall of certain bacteria
and usually made up of polysaccharides.
Functions:
• For adherence to various surfaces such as teeth, rocks, and
plant root
• For protection from drying (it can bind to water molecules)
• Reservoir of stored foods
• For pathogenic bacteria, protects cell from engulfing by the
white blood cells
 BACTERIA
B. Surfaces Layers
b. Cell Wall
- It accounts for 10-40% of the cell’s drying weight. It
gives shape and rigidity to the cell since it can
withstand with stand osmotic pressure.
• The major component of bacterial cell wall is a
polysaccharide called peptidoglycan or murein. It is a
polymer of N- acetylmuramic acid. This compound is
present only in prokaryotic cell.
• Bacteria can be categorized based according to the
composition of their cell wall. These are the gram negative (-
) and the gram (+)bacteria.
Source: https://www.slideshare.net/gaurav2481/bacterial-
cell
 BACTERIA

Gram - Bacteria
• Possess thinner cell wall of about 10-15 nm due to its
very
thin peptidoglycan layer.
• Their membrane is a bilayer structure with
phospholipids at the cytoplasmic end and the
lipopoplysaccharides at the outer membrane. The
phospholipids have both the polar and non-polar.
The non-polar end is away from the aqueous
environment while the polar end is facing outward.
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Cross-section-of-the-envelope-
of-a- typical-Gram-negative-bacterium-LPS-is-a-component-
of_fig1_284644486
 BACTERIA

Gram + bacteria
• Possess thicker cell
wall of about 20-25
nm due to the very
high amount of
peptidoglycan in the
layer of the wall
• Do not possess an
outer
membrane
Source: https://www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/gram-
positive
 BACTERIA
B. Surfaces Layers
c. Cytoplasmic Membrane
- Is a semi-permeable membrane that can
serve as a barrier to most of the water soluble
molecules. It contains an invagination forming
tubules called mesosomes

Functions:
• For cell division or DNA replication
• For the secretion of enzymes
• As site of photosynthesis for the photoautotrophs
 BACTERIA
3. Internal Structure
a. Cytoplasmic Area
- Fluid portion of the cell that contains the
dissolved organic substances such as nucleic
acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.
- It also contains many inorganic ions and several
low
molecular weight compounds.
- This area also contains the ribosomes and
sometimes
glycogen granules, polyphosphates and others.
 BACTERIA
3. Internal Structure
b. Nuclear Area
- Also called nucleoid and is found near the
center of the cell. It seems to be attached to the
mesosomes
- Consist of single, circular chromosome.
 BACTERIA
3. Dormant Structures
- Some bacterial species remain dormant or
metabolically inactive during unfavorable
conditions such as desiccation and extreme
heat. They may become metabolically active
vegetative cells under favorable conditions.

Spores
- Thick-walled and highly refractile structures that
are resistant to environmental changes such as
extreme heat, drying and exposure to
chemicals
 BACTERIA
3. Dormant
Structures
Spores
- Thick-walled and highly refractile structures that
are resistant to environmental changes such as
extreme heat, drying and exposure to
chemicals
- Classified according to its position; spores can be
centrally located, terminally located and
subterminally
- Present in many species of Clostridium and
Bacillus
 BACTERIA
3. Dormant
Structures
Cysts
- Dormant, thick-walled structure that can resist
drying
but not high heat
- Present in Azotobacter