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Lecture (2) : Characteristics of Microorganisms

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Lecture (2)

CHARACTERISTICS OF
MICROORGANISMS
Objectives

List in brief major characteristics of:


Bacteria,
Fungi,
Viruses,
Prions
Bacteria
Bacteria are unicellular prokaryotic organisms
I. Bacteria are Prokaryotic Cells
Their cells lack nuclear membrane and
organelles, which distinguish them from
eukaryotes.
Size of Bacteria:
Bacteria are smaller than eukaryotic cells.

Bacterial cells are extremely small so they are:


Measured in micrometers (µm).
One micrometer equals 1/1000 millimeter.
Bacteria can be seen by light microscope.
Bacteria have a rigid cell wall

Bacterial cell wall contain


peptidoglycan.
The cell wall surround the
cell membrane and
determines the shape of
the organism.
Bacteria have a rigid cell wall

Bacteria are
classified
according to the
structure of their
cell wall into two
groups, either
Gram-positive or
Gram-negative.
Additional structures
Capsule
External to the cell Cell wall
wall may be: Cytoplasmic
membrane
Flagella,
Pili, and/or a
Capsule.

Pilus

Flagellum
Shape of Bacteria
Most bacteria have one of four basic shapes that can be described as
either:
 Rod shaped (Bacillus),
 Spherical (Coccus),
 Curved (vibrio) or
 Spiral (spirochete).

Coccus Vibrio
Bacillus

Spirochete
Bacterial shapes

Rod shaped
(Bacillus)
Sphere shaped pl. bacilli Curved
(Coccus) (Vibrio)
pl. cocci

Spiral
(spirochetes)
Independent existence

Most bacteria are capable of independent


existence and growth, but species of Chlamydia
and Rickettsia are obligately intracellular
organisms.
Bacterial Reproduction

Bacterial cells
reproduce asexually
by binary fission.
However, many bacteria
can exchange some
genetic information carried
on plasmids “small
extrachromosomal genetic
elements”.
Fungi are eukaryotes.
Fungi has a complex
carbohydrate cell wall
(like plants) that contain
chitin (plant’s cell wall
contain cellulose).
Fungi are saprophytic

Fungi are non-


photosynthetic, generally
saprophytic organisms
(unlike plants).
Two major groups are yeast and mold.

Mold

Some fungi are multicellular


filamentous, and are commonly
called molds,
Others “the yeasts” are unicellular.

Yeast
yeasts
Molds
Fungal reproduction

Fungal reproduction may be


asexual, sexual, or both.

All fungi produce spores.


Viruses
Viruses are very small

Viruses are too small to be seen in the light


microscope
Measured in nanometer
(one nanometer = 1/1000 micrometer)
Can be seen only by electron
microscope.
Virus Structure

Viruses are not cells


(acellular). They have a
simple structure.
A virus consists of
Nucleic acid
molecule(s) (DNA or
RNA but not both),
surrounded by a protein
coat (Capsid).
Virus Structure

Some viruses may


also have a lipid
"envelope".
Capsid Nucleic acid

Capsomer
Obligate intracellular parasites

Viruses Are obligate intracellular


parasites of other living cells.
Viruses contain the genetic
information necessary to direct their
own replication, however, they
require the host cell's structures and
enzymatic machinery.
Prions
29 Prions

Prions are infectious


protein particles
that lack nucleic
acid.
A prion is a
misfolded form of a
normal brain
protein.
normal Disease-
causing
30 Prions

Prion can convert a normally folded protein


into the prion form, creating a chain reaction
that increases prion numbers.
Prions can cause
several degenerative
brain diseases including
scrapie in sheep, “mad
cow disease”, and
Creutzfeldt-Jacob
disease in humans
1. Mention three basic bacterial
shapes:

1) …………………………………
2) …………………………………
3) …………………………………
2. Virus size is measured in
___________?

A. Millimeter
B. Micrometer
C. Nanometer
D. Picometer
3. Virus can be seen by _______?

A. Light microscope
B. Naked Eye
C. Electron Microscope
4. Which of the following is
measured in nanometer:

A. Fungi
B. Viruses
C. Bacteria
5. The eukaryotic infectious agent
that has a complex carbohydrate
cell wall:

A. Viruses
B. Fungi
C. Prions
D. Bacteria
6. Fill in the spaces:
7. Unicellular fungi are called

A. Yeast
B. Mold
8. True or False
1. Viruses can be seen by light
microscope ( )
2. Viruses can be seen by Electron
microscope ( )
3. Eukaryotic cells are smaller than
bacterial cells ( )
4. bacterial cells are smaller than
Eukaryotic cells ( )
9. True or False
1. Fungi are photosynthetic ( )
2. Fungi are saprophytic ( )
3. Fungi has cell wall that contain
peptidoglycan ( )
4. Fungi has cell wall that contain
chitin ( )
10. Bacterial cell wall contain
_______?

A. Peptidoglycan
B. Cellulose
C. Chitin
11. Fungal cell wall contain
_______?

A. Peptidoglycan
B. Cellulose
C. Chitin
12. Bacterial cell are measured by
_________?

A. Nanometer
B. Micrometer
C. Millimeter
13. Infectious protein particles that
lack nucleic acid are called

A. Virus
B. Bacteria
C. Prion
D. Yeast
14. Multicellular fungi are called
_______?

A. Yeast
B. Mold
15. This picture is of:

A. Virus
B. Bacteria
C. Fungus
D. Prion
16. This infectious agent is:

A. Prokaryotic
B. Eukaryotic
C. Subcellular
17. Fill in the spaces:

Number 1 is : …………..
Number 2 is : …………..
Number 3 is: ……………
18. This infectious agent is:

A. Bactria
B. Virus
C. Fungus
19. This infectious agent is:

A. Eukaryote
B. Prokaryote
20. This infectious agent is:

A. Yeast
B. Mold
21. Prions can cause a disease
that affect _____?

A. Brain
B. Lung
C. Intestine
D. Bones
22. Bacteria reproduce by
_______?

A. Mitosis
B. Meiosis
C. Binary fission
23. Fill in the spaces:

Number 1 is :
………………………..
Number 2 is :
………………………..
Number 4 is:
…………………………
Number 5 is:
…………………………

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