Prokaryotic cells

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells

Cells may be Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic

From Greek
pro "before" karyon “nucleus” eu “good”

Eukaryotic cells do have a nucleus

Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus
 Organisms are classified into 3 domains

• Two domains have prokaryotic cells:bacteria

and Archaea
 Typical bacteria = Escherichia coli

 Named after Theodor Escherich, Germany 1885

 Present in millions in human and other mammals’ gut

Present in millions in human and other mammals’ faeces
(some strains are pathogenic some are not)

 E.coli is a commensal of mammals: share food sources

E.coli takes advantage, mammals not harmed

 Bacteria are prokaryotes: they don’t have a nucleus

commensalism
an association between two organisms in
which one benefits and the other derives
neither benefit nor harm.
 Structure of prokaryotyes/ bacteria

A typical bacterial cell is made of

1. Peptidoglycan Cell wall

2. Cytoplasm

3. 70s Ribosomes

4. Food stores/granules

5. Cell/plasma membrane

6. Circular DNA

7. Plasmids

8. Mesosomes (?)

9. Flagella and pili

10. Capsule or slime layer

Please fix labels on book page 160
 Structure of bacteria

1. Peptiduglycan Cell wall

 Gives shape to cell

 Prevents bursting due to osmosis

 May prevent against attack

 Made of peptidoglycan = murein

Polymers of amino-sugars and peptides
 Peptidoglycan / murein cell wall
A large net-like molecule
made up of many parallel
polysaccharide chains
with short peptide cross
linkages.
2 types
Come in and
stain
Under the microscope
2. Cytoplasm

 75% water
 Solvent for many substances
- Proteins, mainly enzymes
- Lipoproteins
- Sugars
- Amino acids
- Fatty acids
- Inorganic salts
- Metabolic wastes before
exocytosis

3. 70s Ribosomes (small)

 Site of translation
 Free in cytoplasm
 Made of two sub-units, small and large
 “70S” refers to their sedimentation rate
4. Food stores/granules

 Reserves of glycogen or lipids

 Can be used for growth/energy needs

5. Cell/plasma membrane

 Barrier between inside and outside the cell

 Controls what goes in or out of the cell
 Phospholipid bilayer + proteins
 Mosaic fluid model
 Outer surface: - Glycolipids
- Glycoproteins
 Movements in/out: - Diffusion
- Osmosis
- Active transport
6. Circular DNA

 Loop of Genetic material = single

chromosome
 Holds genes
 Free in cytoplasm (nucleoid) –folded and
coiled to fit
 Attached to plasma membrane
 E.coli’s genome: 4,000,000 base pair
4,000 genes
 Genes expressed if proteins needed

7. Plasmid(s)

 Circular DNA
 Much smaller than bacterial chromosome
 Holds extra “beneficial” genes
 One or several kinds
 A few or many copies of each kind
 Exploited in genetic engineering
8. Mesosomes (?)

 Infolding of the cell surface membrane

 Location of photosynthetic pigment in cyanobacteria

ARTEFACT ?

 Now considered as artefact

 Appear when preparing bacteria for microscopy
studies
 A few scientists still think they are real…
 9. Flagella and pili Singular: flagellum and pilus

Flagella
 Base rotates, hence movement

Pili
 Arise from plasma membrane
 Attachment to surfaces
 Attachment to other bacteria for exchange of DNA

to exchange genetic material –

to increase genetic variation
(not sexual reproduction correct
the book page 160) and
attachment to host cell also
makes them more vulnerable to
attacks by bacteriophage virus
The genetic material transferred during
conjugation often provides the recipient
bacterium with some sort of genetic
advantage. For instance, in many cases,
conjugation serves to transfer plasmids that
carry antibiotic resistance genes.
 Structure of bacteria

10. Capsule and slime layer ( made from starch, gelatin

and protein)

 Additional layer on outer surface of cell wall

 Capsule strongly attached to cell wall

 Slime layer may diffuse into medium

capsule slime layer

 Ultrastructure of Prokaryotic Cells

Unicellular organisms
 Size = mitochondrion/chloroplast
1 to 10 mm

Always
 Cytoplasm

 No membrane-bound organelles

 Ribosomes (70S)

 Cell wall (peptidoglycan)

 DNA is circular and naked

Sometimes
 Plasmid(s)

 Capsule

 Pili

 Flagellum
The diagram below shows the outline of a typical rod-shaped
bacterial cell. Draw and label three features on this diagram that
may be found in a prokaryotic cell, but not in a plant cell.(3)

• 1. (circular) plasmid ;
• 2. { nucleoid / chromosome / circular DNA } ;
• 3. (slime) capsule ;
• 4. flagellum ;
• 5. pili ;
• 6. {small / 70 S} ribosomes ;
• 7. mesosomes / invaginations;
• 8. {murein / peptidoglycan} cell wall ; IGNORE cell wall unqualified

• Only award marks if reasonable looking structure is labelled IGNORE correct labels
to poor diagrams
• DO NOT choose which answers to accept e.g. 2 correct + 1 wrong = 2 marks 2 correct
+ 2 wrong = 1 mark 3 correct + 1 wrong = 2 marks 3 correct + 2 wrong = 1 mark
 Bacteria can be grouped according to their
shapes
• 1-Cocci
2-bacilli
3- spirilla
4-vibrio
Or grouped according to respiratory needs

Obligate aerobes (Mycobacterium tuberculosis - TB )

• Need oxygen to respire

Obligate anaerobe (Clostridium difficile –diarrhea)

• Only respire in the absence of oxygen/ oxygen kills them

Facultative anaerobes ( E. coli)

• makes ATP by aerobic respiration if oxygen is present, but is capable

of switching to fermentation or anaerobic respiration if oxygen is
absent.
Describe how a prokaryotic cell can be distinguished from
a eukaryotic cell.(3)

• 1. prokaryotic cells do not have { (membrane bound) organelles /

named example of (membrane bound) organelle } ;
• 2. { small / 70S } ribosomes in prokaryotic cells ;
• 3. DNA not enclosed in {an envelope / a membrane } in
prokaryotic cells ;
• 4. {circular / loop} DNA in prokaryotic cells ;
• NB It / they refer to prokaryotic cells ACCEPT converse statements
for eukaryotic cells IGNORE plasmids throughout
• 1 ACCEPT reference to other cell inclusion not found in prokaryotic
cells
• 3 ACCEPT DNA in {cytoplasm}
 Check point page 162
• Average size : µm 10–100 ------ 0.5–10
• Genetic material : DNA -----DNA
• Outer layers: Lipoprotein cell surface membrane. May have cell wall containing cellulose or
chitin. ……..Cell surface membrane and bacterial cell wall made of peptidoglycan, with other
compounds such as teichoic acid, lipopolysaccharides. May have slime capsule or layer.
• Main inclusions: Nucleus containing genetic material (DNA), 80S ribosomes, mitochondria,
Golgi body, lysosomes, vesicles, cytoplasm, centrioles, cytoskeleton, vacuoles, endoplasmic
reticulum (RER and SER), etc…………. Cytoplasm, genetic material (DNA), plasmids,
mesosomes, 70S ribosomes.
• Movement :Varies – may not move, may be amoeboid, may use cilia, flagella, etc. …….May
have flagellae.

• Gram-positive bacteria (e.g. methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA) cell walls

contain a thick layer of peptidoglycan containing chemicals such as teichoic acid within their
net-like structure. The cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria (e.g. E. coli) have a thin layer of
peptidoglycan with no teichoic acid between the two layers of membranes. The outer
membrane is made up of lipopolysaccharides. The way they infect cells and cause disease is
different and the way they react to antibiotics is different, so need to know to treat bacterial
diseases effectively.