Bacterial Morphology

TODAY'S LIST OF KEY CONCEPTS
- What is Bacterial Morphology?
OBJECTIVES
- Fundamental Shape of Bacteria
- Distinguish among the Various
General Shapes
- Citing an Examples of Bacteria
- Envelope Structures
What is Bacteria?
Bacteria are single celled microbes. The cell
structure is simpler than that of other
organisms as there is no nucleus or membrane
bound organelles. Bacteria are prokaryotic,
unicellular organisms, usually capable of rapid
multiplication, and occur in a wide range of
habitats
How about Bacterial Morphology?
Deals with size, shape, and

arrangement of bacterial cells.
Size of Bacteria. Bacteria are
microscopic organisms that
are less than 3 micrometeres
(μm) in size.
Bacterial Morphology by
Chegg.com
Bacteria has a
shape
Bacteria are classified into five
groups according to their basic
shapes: spherical (cocci), rod (bacilli),
spiral (spirilla), comma (vibrios) or
corkscrew (spirochaetes). They can
exist as single cells, in pairs, chains
or clusters. They may also be
classified according to cell
arrangement:
● diplo, remain in pairs after
dividing
● strepto, cells resemble chains
● tetrads, packets of four cells
arranged in a square.
● staphylo, cells form a cluster
Bacteria may either be eubacteria (“true bacteria”) or archaebacteria
(orarchaeans). Both groups are prokaryotic but differ in the composition of
certain structures. Most notable among their differences is the cell wall
composition. Cell walls of eubacteria are made up of peptidoglycan, while those
of some archaebacteria are made up of proteins called pseudomurein.
Eubacteria Archaebacteria
Eubacteria can be differentiated from The presence of special enzymes
archaebacteria based on their RNA. in archaebacteria, along with the
unique chemical composition of their
Eubacteria can also either be gram positive
cell structures allow them to live in
or gram negative. Gram positives have a extreme environments. Archaebacteria
thick layer of peptidoglycan compared to that live in extremely hot
gram negatives. Furthermore, gram environments, such as hydrothermal
negatives will have their thin vents, are called thermophiles. Those
peptidoglycan layer in between two more that live in habitats with high amounts
of salt (sodium chloride) are called
bacterial membranes. Gram positive and
halophiles. Archaebacteria that
gram negative bacteria can be helpful and produce methane are known as
harmful to humans depending on species. methanogen
In many cases however, gram negative
bacteria can cause disease.
FUNDAMENTALS SHAPES OF
BACTERIA
https://microbenotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Classification-of-
Bacteria-on-the-Basis-of-Shape.jpg
SPHERES RODS
(COCCI) (BACILLI)
Bacillus, (genus Bacillus),
A bacterial cell that has
any of a genus of rod-
the shape of a sphere.
shaped, gram-positive,
Coccus is part of the
aerobic or (under some
name of a number of
conditions) anaerobic
bacteria, such as
bacteria widely found in
enterococcus,
soil and water. The term
meningococcus,
bacillus has been applied
pneumococcus,
in a general sense to all
staphylococcus, and
cylindrical or rodlike
streptococcus.
bacteria.
SPIRALS
(SPIROCHETES)
Spirochetes have a spiral
shape, a flexible cell wall,
and motility mechanisms
based on structures called
axial filaments. Each axial
filament is composed of
fibrils extending toward
each other between two
layers of the cell wall.
Envelope
Structures
The cell envelope represents the outermost
layer of the bacterial cell which has as general
functions the protection of the cell,
communication with the environment,
maintenance of cellular shape, stability and
rigidity of the cell, as well as allowing
appropriate metabolism, growth and division
of the cell
Prokaryotic cells are surrounded by complex
envelope to protectthe bacteria from the
harsh environmenal conditions.
GLYCOCALYX
This is the outermost covering of some bacteria. A
gelatinous substance that is located external to the cell
wall. Composed of polysaccharide and polypeptide or both.
If It is called capsule if it is strongly attached to the cell
wall and slime slayer if it is loosely attached. The presence
of the capsule is indicative of the virulence of an
organism, aiding the organism in the evasion of
phagocytosis.
GLYCOCALYX
CELL WALL
GMO Food
The Bacterial Cell Wall is some times called the murein sacculus. Its principal
component is peptidoglycan, which is also called murein or mucopeptide
BACTERIAL CELL WALL
GRAM - GRAM- ACID-FAST

POSITIVE NEGATIVE
Possess an outer
It is multi-layered It is single layered layer that is lipid-
rich
The Cell Wall provides rigid support and gives shape s to the bacteria. it
protects the bacteria from osmotic damage and plays an important role in
cell division.
SPECIAL COMPONENTS OF
GRAM-POSITIVE CELL WALLS
TEICHOIC ACID POLYSACCHARIDES
Teichoic acids (TA) are copolymers Cell wall polysaccharides (CWPS),

of glycerol phosphate or ribitol which are usually covalently bound
phosphate and carbohydrates linked to the peptidoglycan and are closely
via phosphodiester bonds. Teichoic associated with the cell wall, are
acids are found within the cell wall considered as ubiquitous components
of most Gram-positive bacteria, of the cell envelope of gram-positive
which make them potential bacteria and play an important role
antibiotic targets for Gram-positive as mediators of bacterial
bacteria interactions with the environment.
Techoic Acids- comprise major surface of antigens gram-positive organisms and
can elicit antibody response. In some cases this function for the attachment of the
organism to the host cell. These also provide tensile strength to the gram-positive
bacterial cell wall.
Polysaccharides- molecule includes neutral sugars such as mannose, arabinose,

rhamnose, and glucosamine. It also includes some acidic sugars such as
glucoronic acid and mannuronic acid.
SPECIAL COMPONENTS OF
GRAM-NEGATIVE CELL WALLS
PERIPLASMIC
OUTER MEMBRANE LIPOPROTEIN SPACE
A Bi-layered structure A fluid filled space
where the inner leaflet Functions to between the outer
component is composed membrane and the
anchor the outer
inner plasma
of lipopolysaccharide membrane to the membrane. It contains
(LPS). It has a special peptigodlycan enzymes for the
protein channels that layer and breakdown of large
allow the passage of non-transportable
stabilizes the
small or low molecular molecules into
outer membrane transportable ones and
weight hydrophilic
enzymes that serve to
substances such as detoxify and in active
sugars and amino acids antibiotics
LPS has a complex glycolipid called lipid A, responsible
for the endotoxin activity. It is located on the leaflet of the outer
membrane. The inner core is a polysaccharide made up of repeat
units. This is also called the O antigen, which is unique for every
species of bacteria.
Schematic structure of Gram-positive and Gram-negative cell
walls. Gram-positive cell walls contain only one lipid plasma
membrane and a thick peptidoglycan layer interlinked with
teichoic and lipoteichoic acids, whereas Gram-negative bacteria
have an inner and an outer cell membrane and only a thin layer of
peptidoglycan in the periplasmic space between the inner and
outer membrane. There is a layer of lipopolysaccharide lining the
outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.
ACID FAST
CELL WALL
Unlike gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, acid fast organisms such as
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis possess an outer layer that is lipid-rich. The cell
wall of acid-fast organisms is composed of large amount of waxes that are
known as mycolic acids. The inner layer of the cell wall is also made up of
peptidoglycan but because the outermost layer is lipid-rich, cell walls of fast acid
organisms are hydrophobic. This is the reason why they cannot be stained using
reagents used in gram staining. The hydrophobic nature of their cell wall
protects them from harsh chemicas such as strong acids and detergents.
PART 1
COMPLETE
T HANK YOU!

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TODAY'S LIST OF KEY CONCEPTS

- What is Bacterial Morphology?

Deals with size, shape, and

GRAM - GRAM- ACID-FAST

Teichoic acids (TA) are copolymers Cell wall polysaccharides (CWPS),

Polysaccharides- molecule includes neutral sugars such as mannose, arabinose,

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