Microbiology & Parasitology

LABORATORY 1: BASIC STUDY OF BACTERIA

1st Year Nursing | BSN 1B | SY: 2022-2023

Staphylococcus irregular or grape-like clusters

Diplococcus in pairs
TOPIC OUTLINE
Streptococcus in chains
Gaffyka in groups of four
1 SAQ
Sarcinae in cubical pockets of eight
2 Morphology of the Bacteria Micrococcus singly

3 Bacterial Cytology 2. Rods – straight, sausage, cigarette-shaped, cylindrical

orb elongated rods. Sometimes known as “bacilli”
4 Bacterial Classification which means “little sticks”. The name bacilli with small
letter b should indicate and describe the shape of the
bacterium while word Bacillus with a capital B indicates
SAQ a genus of a group of bacteria.
Genus Arrangement
● STAPHYLOCOCCUS - Genus of cocci arranged in
Bacillus in chains
irregular or grape-like clusters
Clostridium singly
● GAFFYKA - Genus of cocci arranged in groups of four
Corynebacterium palisade or
● BACILLUS - Genus of rods arranged in chains
Chinese letter
● CORYNEBACTERIUM - Genus of rods arranged
-arrangement
palisade or Chinese letter-arrangement
● CAMPYLOBACTER - Example or representative
3. Spiral – curved rods having a helicoidal or corkscrew
organism of spirilla
shape. The spiral bacteria are divided as follows:
● GRAM NEGATIVE BACTERIA - Have thin
A. Comma-shaped – curved rods resembling a
peptidoglycan layers next to the cytoplasmic
comma. It is an incomplete spiral and forms
membrane, with other major cell wall components
as an S-shaped strand or serpentine
exterior to the peptidoglycan.
formation when grown together. An example
● PERITRICHOUS - Flagella distributed over the surface.
is Vibrio comma, the causative agent of
● SEX PILUS/ PILI - Are less common type of pilus and
cholera.
appear to be specifically involved in bacterial
B. Spirilla – actual or complete spirals, helices or
conjugation
may resemble the appearance of a corkscrew.
● SPHEROPLAST - Are also osmotically fragile but
Its body is relatively rigid. Example is the
results from the partial removal of the cell wall
genus Campylobacter.
● MESOSOME - Are complex invaginations of the
C. Spirochetes – they look like spirilla, but their
cytoplasmic membrane seen in many, but not all,
bodies are flexible, and they wiggle while
bacteria. Their function has not been fully elucidated.
moving about. The movement results from the
● GRAM’S STAINING - These staining reactions reflect a
contraction of an axial filament or flagellum
basic structural difference in the cell wall between the
which spirals around the organisms between
two cells types
the plasma membrane and the cell wall.
● AEROBIC - Bacteria which can tolerate oxygen
Example is Treponema pallidum, the causative
● CATALASE - Destroys hydrogen peroxides
of syphilis.
● ALPHA HEMOLYSIN/ HEMOLYSIS - Lyse but do not
dissolve RBC membranes
● COAGULASE - Causes clotting of blood plasma BACTERIAL CYTOLOGY
1. Cell Wall – a rigid cell wall provides protection and
MORPHOLOGY OF THE BACTERIA imparts shape to the bacterial cell
2. Bacteria - are divided into Gram-negative and
Morphology deals with the study of the structure and
Gram-positive groups based on their cell wall structure.
form of living organisms. There are three forms generally
❖ Gram-negative bacteria - have thin
recognized based on the shape of the bacteria.
peptidoglycan layers next to the cytoplasmic
membrane, with other major cell wall
1. Cocci – spherical or round in shape. “Cocci” means
components exterior to the peptidoglycan.
“berry” in Greek.
❖ Gram-positive bacteria - have a heavy, rigid
layer of peptidoglycan and teichoic acid,

Genus Arrangement

Sta Clara, Vidal, Mauricio, Raymundo

Microbiology & Parasitology

LABORATORY 1: BASIC STUDY OF BACTERIA

1st Year Nursing | BSN 1B | SY: 2022-2023

which is several times thicker than of ➢ Spheroplasts - are also osmotically

gram-negative cells. fragile but results from the partial
3. Capsules, Flagella, and Pili are found external to the removal of the cell wall
cell wall. ❖ The cytoplasmic membrane exhibits a
❖ Capsules - are present on many bacteria, well-defined selective permeability
including several pathogenic species. ❖ The bacterial electron transport system, the
➢ Most bacterial capsules are principal energy system, is located in the
composed of complex cytoplasmic membrane.
polysaccharides. ❖ Mesosomes are complex invaginations of the
➢ Some bacteria produce polypeptide cytoplasmic membrane seen in many, but not
capsules composed of D-amino all, bacteria. Their function has not been fully
acids elucidated.
➢ Bacterial capsule lacks the 5. Prokaryotic – the bacterial cell lacks a nuclear
well-ordered structure found in the membrane
bacterial cell wall. ❖ The cellular DNA - is concentrated in the
❖ Flagella - are present on many bacteria and cytoplasm as a nucleoid
are responsible for the motility demonstrated ➢ Bacterial DNA - consists of one
by these species. long, double-stranded, circular
➢ Bacterial flagella are composed of molecule
a single species of polypeptide and ➢ Each nucleoid consists of one DNA
are driven by the rotary action of a molecule
swivel-like basal hook. ❖ A small percentage of the DNA in some
➢ Some bacteria have many flagella bacteria persists in an extrachromosomal
distributed over their surface state as molecules called plasmids, which are
(peritrichous flagella) also circular but are smaller than nucleoids.
➢ Some bacteria have a single Plasmids frequently carry genes involved in
flagellum or small bundles located at antibiotic resistance (R-Factor)
one end of the cell (polar flagella)
❖ Common pili (fimbriae) – many
gram-negative bacteria have long, slender
BACTERIAL CLASSIFICATION
projections which originate at the cell 1. Readily Observable usually are the basis for bacterial
membrane and extend through the cell wall. classification and identification
➢ The common pili are composed of a ❖ Gram Staining reflects the most important
single protein type with the property of a microorganism for classification
molecules in the form of a helical purposes
filament ➢ If bacteria take up and retain the
➢ Common pili appear to play a role in primary dye, crystal violet, or resist
bacterial adherence to surfaces alcohol decolorization, they are
➢ Sex Pili are a less common type of considered gram-positive
pilus and appear to be specifically ➢ If the crystal violet is completely
involved in bacterial conjugation. removed by alcohol decolorization,
4. The Cell Membrane (Cytoplasmic Membrane) - is the the organism is considered
actual barrier between the interior and exterior of the gram-negative
bacterial cell ➢ These staining reactions reflect a
❖ Removal of the cell wall leads to bacterial basic structural difference in the cell
lysis because the cytoplasmic membrane is wall between the two cell types.
unable to withstand the osmotic pressure 2. Metabolic Reactions form the precise basis for
found in nature. bacterial species identification.
➢ Protoplasts - are cells maintained in ❖ Reaction to growth in the presence of oxygen
an osmotically protected ➢ Aerobic bacteria tolerate oxygen
environment following the complete ➢ Anaerobic bacteria cannot tolerate
removal of the cell wall oxygen
❖ Production of detoxifying and oxidative
enzymes

Sta Clara, Vidal, Mauricio, Raymundo

Microbiology & Parasitology

LABORATORY 1: BASIC STUDY OF BACTERIA

1st Year Nursing | BSN 1B | SY: 2022-2023

➢ Catalase destroys hydrogen

peroxides
➢ Oxidase transfer hydrogen directly
to oxygen
❖ Production of proteolytic or toxic enzymes
➢ Hemolysins lyse red blood cells
■ Alpha Hemolysis - lyse but
do not dissolve RBC
membranes
■ Beta Hemolysis - both lyse
and dissolve RBC
membrane
➢ Coagulase causes clotting of blood
plasma

Sta Clara, Vidal, Mauricio, Raymundo