Morphology of Bacteria

Objectives
 At the end of this chapter; you will:
 Classify bacteria based on their shape and
arrangements
 Describe the structure of bacterial cell
 Describe phases of bacterial growth curve
 Discuss factors affecting the growth of
bacteria
Outline
 Introduction
 Size of pathogens
 Structure of bacteria
 Classification of bacteria
 Growth of bacteria
 Factors affecting bacterial growth
Introduction
 Basic features of Bacterial Cell
 Typical prokaryotic cell
 Contain both DNA and RNA
 Most grow in artificial media
 Replication is by binary fission
 Contain rigid cell wall
Character Prokaryotes Eukaryotes

Nucleus Absent Present

Membrane-bound organelle Absent Present

Chromosome (DNA) Single & coiled Multiple & linear

Ribosomes Free Both free & attached

Mitochondria Absent Present

Lysosomes Absent Present

Golgi apparatus Absent Present

Endoplasmic Reticulum Absent Present

Cell wall Present Present/absent

Size of Bacteria
 Bacteria differ in their size
 Cocci measure from 0.5-1.25µ in diameter
 Bacilli ranges from 0.5-1.2µ in diameter and
3- 7µ in length
 Spirally shaped bacteria ranges from 0.5-3µ in
diameter and 10-50µ in length
 Vibrio ranges from 1.5-l.7µ in diameter and up
to 10µ in length
Structure
 Considered at three levels
 Cell envelope proper
 Cellular element enclosed with in the cell
envelope
 Cellular element external to the cell
envelope (appendages)
 Cell envelope proper
 Capsule
 Cell wall
 Cell membrane
 Cellular element enclosed with in the cell
envelope
 Mesosomes
 Ribosome
 Nuclear material
 Polyamines
 Cytoplasmic granules
 Cellular element external to the cell
envelope (appendages)
 Flagellum
 Pilus
 Capsule

 The outer most layer of the bacterial cell

 Secreted by the cell into the external
environment and are highly impermeable
 Can be detected by Indian ink staining
 Used the bacteria to attach to tissues and
resist phagocytic digestion
 Important characteristics of capsule includes
 Weakly antigenic
 Endows virulence
 Not necessary for viability
 Protects from phagocytosis
 Capsulated strains are invariably non motile
 Cell wall
 Multi layered structure
 Called backbone of bacterial cell
 Non-living secretion of the cell membrane
 Constitutes about 20% of the bacterial dry
weight
 Its rigidity is due to the presence of PG layer
 Function

 Provides shape to the bacterium

 Gives rigidity to the organism
 Protects from destructive environmental factors
 Provides staining characteristics
 Contains receptor sites for phages
 Site of action of antibody
 Contains components toxic to host
 Based on cell wall composition bacteria is
divided into four groups

1. Gram positive bacteria

2. Gram negative bacteria
3. Bacteria without cell walls
4. Bacteria with chemically unique cell walls
 Gram Positive Bacteria
 PG layers is much thicker than Gram negative
bacteria
 The PG layer comprises 50 – 90% of the cell
wall and 20 – 40% of the cell wall weight
 Susceptible to the enzyme lysozyme and
penicillin
 Teichoic acids and cell well- associated
protein are their major surface antigens
 Function of Teichoic acid
 Used to bind (keep) Mg+2 concentration in
the cell wall
 Used to activate autolytic enzyme (enzymes
which are secreted by bacteria usually when it
dies
 To bind bacteriophage in the cell wall
 Gram negative bacteria
 Complex than Gram positive bacterial cell
wall
 Thin peptidoglycan layer
 Lose crystal violet and stain red from
safranin counterstain
 High lipid content in the outer membrane
 Outer Membrane
 Contains receptors (sites) for bacteriophage
attachment or bacteriocine
 It participates in cell division
 Used in transport of materials
A barrier for large hydrophobic antibiotics
and proteins
 Lipopolysaccharides

 Responsible for antigenicty of the outer

membrane
A powerful stimulator of innate immune
responses
 Activates B cells and stimulates
macrophage, dendritic, and other cells
 Periplasmic space
 Found between outer membrane(PG) and the
cell membrane
 Mostly contain enzymes and endotoxins
 Defective cell walls
 Can be induced by antibiotics and hypertonic
environment
 They are of three types
 Protoplast
 Spheroplasts
 L forms
 Plasma membrane
 The actual barrier between the interior and
exterior cell
 The site for transport system and the
principal energy system
 Function

 Regulates the transport of nutrients and

waste products into and out of the cell
 Assists DNA replication
 Captures energy in the form of ATP
 Cytoplasm

 The semi liquid cytoplasm that surrounds

the nucleoid
 Contained within the plasma membrane
 The cytoplasm consists of water, enzymes
oxygen, waste products, essential nutrients,
proteins, carbohydrates, lipids
Cellular Element Enclosed with in
the Cell Envelope
 Mesosomes

 Complex invaginations of cytoplasmic

membrane in to the cytoplasm
 Increase in the total surface area of the
membrane
 Involved in DNA segregation during cell
division and respiratory enzyme -activity
 Ribosomes

 Cytoplamic particles, which are the sites of

protein synthesis
 Composed of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) (70%)
and proteins (30%)
 The ribosomes of prokaryotes are smaller
than cytoplasmic ribosomes of eukaryotes
 Cytoplasmic inclusions
 Aggregates of polymers produced when
there is excess of nutrients in the env’t
 Distinct granules that may occupy a
substantial part of the cytoplasm
 Granules in bacteria represent the
accumulated food reserve
 Nuclear material
 Considered primitive nucleus
 Does not have a definite shape
 Serves as the control center of the bacterial
cell
 Bacteria may have some extra chromosomal
genetic material in the form of DNA
 Polyamines

 Found in association with bacterial DNA,

ribosomes and cell membrane
 Prevent dissociation of 70s ribosome into
subunits
 Increase resistance of protoplast lysis
Cellular Element External to the Cell
Envelope
 Flagellum

 The organ of locomotion in bacterial cell

 Consists of filament
 Taste environment
 Respond to food/poison
 Free on the surface of bacterial cell
 Composed of
protein named as
flagellin
 Flagellum has 3
distinct parts
 Filament or shaft
 Hook
 Basal body
 Flagellar

arrangements
 Atrichous
 Monotrichous
 Lophotrichous
 Amphitrichous
 Peritrichous
 Pilli (Fimbriae)

 Short, hair-like structures (finer filaments)

on the surfaces
 Extruded from the cytoplasmic membrane
 Shorter and stiffer than flagella, and slightly
smaller in diameter
 Two functional types of pili
 May occur independently or together on
some cell
 Common pili
 Sex pili or F pili
Character Flagella Pili

Size Large Small

Thickness +++ +

Origin Cell membrane Cell wall

Locomotion + -

Adhesion - +

Conjugation - +
 Spores

 Highly resistant and dehydrated forms

 Formed from vegetative forms under
conditions of limited supply of nutrition
 Resistant to bactericidal agents and adverse
physical conditions
 Doesn't take up ordinary stains
Summary
 Structure of bacteria is considered at three
levels