General Bacteriology

Dr. Syada Monira Hoque

Associate professor

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 Definitions
 Bacteriology:
 It is the science which deals with the

study of Bacteria.
 Bacteria :
 Bacteria are unicellular organisms and

are simple in their organizations;

hence designated as ‘Prokaryotic’ cells
in contrast to ‘Eukaryotic’ cells which
are more complex and are found in
higher organisms, e.g. fungi, algae,
protozoa etc. 2
Bacterial Anatomy:
Bacterial cell
structure

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 Components of bacterial
cell
 Essential components:

Nucleoid

Ribosome

Periplasm in Gram negative bacteria

Cytoplasmic membrane

Cell wall –
Peptidoglycane
Outer membrane in Gram negative bacteria
Teichoic acid in Gram positive bacteria
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 Non-essential components
 Flagella

 Fimbria or pili

 Capsule

 Spore

 Plasmid

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Nucleoid
 The prokaryotic ‘nucleoid’ is
equivqlent to eukaryotic ‘nucleus’.
 Devoid of nuclear
membrane,nucleolus and mitotic
apparatus
 It contains single chromosome with
loosely organized DNA.

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 Ribosomes
 It is granular in appearance and
contains following granules:
Ribosome: 70S with 30S and 50S sub-
units
Function:
1.Protein synthesis
2.site of action of aminoglycosides ,
erythromycin, tetracyclines, and
chloramphenicol
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Cytoplasm contains
Food granules: consists of fat, sulphur,
carbohydrate and volutin (inorganic
metaphosphate)granules.
Chromatophores: in some
photosynthetic bacteria
But Lacks in mitochondria,endoplasmic
reticulum and cytopasmic streaming

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 Cytoplasmic membrane :

structure
 It is composed of a phospholipid bilayer
and proteins.
 Devoid of sterols except in mycoplasma
 It forms specialized structures called
‘mesosomes’ which are two types;
 Septal mesosome-important in cell

division and
 Lateral mesosome-important in DNA

replication
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 Cytoplasmic membrane:
Function
 Selective permeability and transport of
solutes,
 Energy generation by oxidative
phosphorylation
 Biosynthesis of DNA, cell wall polymers
and membrane lipids
 Excretion of enzymes and toxins
 Bears receptors for chemotaxis and
other systems.
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 Cell wall : structure
 It is situated outside the cytoplasm.
 It is composed of two components:
 A.Basic component: Peptidoglycan,
common to both of Gram positive and
Gram Negative bacteria,
 B. Special component, different in Gram
positive and Gram negative bacteria.
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13
Peptidoglycan
 Also called murein or mucopeptide.
 The term peptidoglycan is derived
from the peptides and sugars(glycan)
that make up the molecule.
 Peptidoglycan consists of 3 parts:
 A backbone, composed of

alternating N-acetylglucosamine
and N-acetylmuramic acid.

A set of tetrapeptide side chain attached
to N-acetylmuramic acid, and
 A set of peptide cross-bridge.

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Stucture of peptidoglycane
layer

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 Peptidoglycan(contd.)
 The backbone is same in all bacterial
species, but tetrapepide side chain and
the peptide cross bridge vary from
species to species

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Peptidoglycan(contd.)
 In gram positive bacteria, there are
as many as 40 sheets of
peptidoglycan, comprising up to
50% of cell wall material, whereas
in gram negative bacteria,it is only
one or two sheets comprising only
5-10% cell wall material.

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Gram positive cell wall :
Special
components
B.Teichoic acid and teichuronic acid
These fibers of glycerol phosphate or
ribitol phosphate
Function: induce septic shock when
caused by certain gram-positive
bacteria, they activate the same
pathways as does endotoxin (LPS)
in gram-negative bacteria.
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Gram negative cell wall :
Special
components
Outermembrane – composed of
 Lipid A

 polysaccharide

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 Lipopolysacharide
 This is the outermost layer of gram
negative bacterial cell wall and is
composed of :
 Lipid A, which is the endotoxin of gram

negative bacteria &

 Polysaccharide,which form the

somatic(O) antigen, is composed of a

core and long repeating side chain of
sugars.
Function: Endotoxin produces septic shock
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Structure of
endotoxin( LPS)

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 Periplasmic space
 The space between the inner and outer
membrane is called periplasmic space
 Contains peptidoglycan, hydrolytic
enzymes that break down
nontransportable substrates into
transportable ones, detoxifying enzymes
that inactivate penicillins and
aminoglycosides. This is why gram
negative bacteria are more difficult to
treat than gram positive ones. 22
 Wall Deficient Microbial
Forms
 Mycoplasma, protoplast, spheroplast and
L-forms.
 Mycoplasma is naturally devoid of cell-
wall.
 Bacterial cell wall can be removed by
treatment with lysozyme and penicillin.
 Protoplast is produced from gram
positive bacteria,
 Spheroplast from gram negative
bacteria,contains remnants of cell wall.23
 Wall Deficient Microbial
Forms(contd.)
 When such bacteria began to grow and
divide these are called L-form.
 Spheroplast can revert to normal
bacterial form when effect of lysozyme
or antibiotic is withdrawn, due to
presence of remnant of cell wall.
 Significance : they are resistant to
penicillins, and may cause chronic
infection 24
 Capsule
 It is a thin layer present outside the cell
wall.
 Composition:
 composed of polysaccharide except in

B.anthracis where it is composed of

polypeptide.
 Function :
 Prevents phagocytosis,

 Imparts virulence to bacteria

 Helps in lab diagnosis

 Vaccine can be produced 25

Flagella
 These are long thread like
appendages.
 Composition:
 Composed of protein sub-units

called flagellin.
 Function:
 Organ of motility,

 Antigenic, antibody produced by it

helps in diagnosis of disease

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 Flagella(contd.)
 Distribution:
 Peritrichous:distributed all over the

body.e.g.S.typhi
 Amphitrichous: a single flagella at

each pole.e.g. pseudomonas

 Lophotrichous: bunch of flagella at

one or both pole.e.g.Spirillum minus

 Monotrichous: one flagellum at one

ende.g. vibriocholerae
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 Fimbria or Pili
 They are short hair like structures present
on the surface of bacteria.
 Composition:
 composed of protein sub-units called

pillin
 Types : two types;
 Ordinary pilli &

 Sex pilli, longer & stouter than ordinary

pilli
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Fimbria/pilli (contd.)

 Function :
 Ordinary pilli, organ of adhesion

 Sex pilli, transfer of genetic

material by a method called

conjugation.

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 Flagella Vs Fimbria
Point Flagella Fimbria
s
Size Longer & Shorter & thinner
Shap thicker Straight
e Curved &
Wavy
NO. Less Numerous
numerous
Func- Organ of -Organ of adhesion
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 Gm-ve Vs Gm+ve cell
wall
Components Gm+ve cell GM –ve cell wall
wall
Peptidoglyc Thicker,multilay Thinner;single
an er layer
Special -Teichoic acid -LPS,
components -lipoprotein
-Outer
membrane, -
Periplasmic
space 31
 Eukaryotic VS Prokaryotic
cell
Characterisitc Prokaryotic Eukaryotic
Nuclear membrane Absent Present
Nucleolus Absent Present
Mitotic division Absent Present
Chromosome One Multiple
number
Mitochondria,lysoso Absent Present
me
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 Eukaryotic VS Prokaryotic
cell (contd.)
Size of 70 S 80 S
ribosome
Cytoplasmic absent Present
streaming
Sterol in cell Absent Present
membrane
Cell wall Present Absent
containing
peptidoglycan
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 Spore
 Definition:
 These are highly resistant strucutres
formed in response to adverse conditions.
 Types : two types ,
 Endospores, formed by bacteria within
their cytoplasm.
 Exospore, also called conidia, formed by
fungi
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 Endospores
 Formed by two genera of bacteria:
 the genus Bacillus and

 the genus clostridia

 Structure:
 1. Core-the core protoplast; contains
Nucleus(Chromosome), very low water
and very high amount of calcium
dipicolinate, which is responsible for the
heat resistance of spore.
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 Endospores(contd.)
 Spore wall-the innermost layer
surrounding the spore membrane;contains
normal petidoglycan,and becomes cell
wall of germinating vegetative cell.
 3.Cortex: the thickest layer contains
abnormal peptidoglycan.
 4.Coat:composed of keratin like protein.
Impermeability of this layer is responsible
for their resistance to antibacterial agents.
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 5.Exosporium: the outer most layer and
is composed of lipoprotein and
carbohydrate
 Function :
 resistant to heat, dehydration,

radiation and chemicals, so maintain

the progeny in adverse environment.
 This resistance is due to low metabolic
state , dehydrated state and presence
of dipicolinic acid in spore. 37
 Endospore (contd.)
 Germination: spore germinates
whenever favourable environment arise
giving rise to one vegetative form. So
one bacteria one spore one bacteria
 Significance or medical importance :
Extraordinary resistance to heat and
chemicals. Sterilization can not be
achieved by boiling. Steam heating
under pressure( autoclaving) at 121◦ C
for 30 mints, is required to ensure the
sterility of the products for medical use.
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Endospore (contd.)

 Classification:
 Terminal, subterminal, central

 Diameter less than, equal to and

more than diameter of bacillus.

 Round, oval

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 Plasmids
 Plasmids are extrachromosomal,
double-stranded, circular DNA
molecules that are capable of
replicating independently of the
bacterial chromosome.
 Two types:

Transmissible plasmids
Nontransmissible plasmid

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 Plasmids carry the genes for the following
functions and structures of medical
importance
 Antibiotic resistance,
 Resistance to heavy metals such as
mercury
 Resistance to ultraviolet light
 Pili (fimbriae), which mediate the
adherence of bacteria to epithelial cells.
 Exotoxins, including several enterotoxins.

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