• Bacteria are the

prokaryotes that
have a rigid cell wall
that surrounds the
bacterial cell and the
lack of a true nuclear
membrane (i.e., the
genetic material
within the bacterial
cell is not confined by
a distinct
membrane).
• Bacteria usually contain the basic subcellular
organelles needed to synthesize proteins and
maintain cellular metabolism, including
ribosomes, enzymes, and cytoplasmic storage
granules.
• Bacteria, however, must depend on some kind
of nourishing medium to provide metabolic
substrates to maintain function
Gram Negative – E.coli & Salmonella
Gram Positive – Staphylococci & streptococcus
• Antibiotic history

• In 1928 Dr Alexander Fleming returned from a

holiday to find mould growing on a Petri dish of
Staphylococcus bacteria.
• He noticed the mould seemed to be preventing
the bacteria around it from growing.
• He soon identified that the mould produced a
self-defence chemical Penicillin that could kill
bacteri.a