Bacterial Anatomy and

Physiology
 Objectives:
 At the end of this session, students should be able to:
 Describe the properties bacteria
 Explain differences between Gram- positive and Gram-
negative bacteria
 Discuss different bacterial structures and their functions
Bacterial Anatomy and
Physiology
 Bacteria
 are unicellular organisms, small in size usually about 1µm in
diameter.
 They are true living organisms and belong to the kingdom
prokaryotes- lack nuclear membrane.
 Larger than viruses,
 Contains double stranded DNA of about 1mm in size which must be
folded a thousand fold to fit the size of the bacteria.
 Reproduce by binary fission
 Vary in size and arrangements:
 Single cells, or in regular groups of two or more cells
 Most bacteria can be grown on artificial culture media.
 Some bacteria can cause disease in humans, animals and plants
(pathogens)
Assignment
 Write an essay on the topic:
 Life in a world without microbes.

 Length: 2 pages
Prokaryote Vs Eukaryote

Eukaryote
Prokaryote
 Differences between Procaryotes
and Eucaryotes
Procaryotes Eucaryotes
Size:1-10µm Size: 10-100 µm
No nuclear membrane Nuclear membrane present
Single chromosome Multiple
chromosomes
No DNA-associated histones Histones associated
DNA
Binary fission Mitotic division
Lack membranous compartments Membranous compartments
Peptidoglycan cell wall Chitin or cellulose cell wall
70S ribosomes 80S ribosomes
Steroids absent Steroids present
Anaerobic respiration possible No anaerobic
respiration
Bacterial shapes &
arrangements
 The Gram stain
The Gram stain divides bacteria into two broad groups;
Gram- positive (purple)
Gram- negative (red)

The Gram staining technique consists of flooding a fixed smear of

bacteria with crystal violet (purple dye) followed by Lugol’s
iodine.
The slide is washed with alcohol, (a decolorizer).
The smear is then stained with a counter stain such as
saffranin (red dye).

Bacteria that retains the purple color is Gram positive.

Those that stain with the color of the counter stain (red) are
Gram – negative.
The Gram stain
Gram stain reactions of
bacteria & yeast
Differences between Gram-positive
and Gram-negative cell walls
 Differences between Gram-positive
and Gram-negative cell walls
Properties Gram- Gram-
Layers positive
Two negative
Three

Peptidoglycan Thick layer Thin layer

Periplasmic Absent Present

space
Teichoic acid Present Absent

Outer Absent Present

membrane
LPS Absent Present
 Structure of bacterial cell
 Bacterial cell consists of a cell
envelope and cytoplasm
 Cell envelope
 Consists of a cell wall and an
underlying cell membrane
 Cell Wall:
 is a rigid structure that surrounds
the bacterial cell.
 It provides shape, rigidity
 Is composed of peptidoglycan and
autolysins.
 Autolysins:
 Enzymes that dissolve the
peptidoglycan layer.
 Activity is essential for cell wall
growth, cell septation and
sporulation
 Functions of cell envelope
and structures
 Essential for viability

Contributes to ability to cause disease
 Ligands for adherence (attachment),
 Resist phagocytosis

 Antigenic (trigger innate immune response) sepsis

 Form spores

 antigenic variation between bacteria

 Protects against environmental stresses
 Bile salts, low pH, low osmotic pressure
Target for antibiotics
 Susceptible to cell wall active agents e.g beta-
lactams and glycopeptides, etc
Bacterial Cell Structure
Cell Wall- deficient organisms ( L-forms):
 May emerge during antibiotic therapy-
 cause persistent infections and resist the effect of
antibiotics
Removal of cell walls- leads to bacterial lysis
 Gram positive bacteria--- protoplast,
 Gram- negative bacteria--- Spherolasts
 Are resistant to differences in osmotic pressure
Naturally occurring cell wall free organisms
 Mycoplasma andUreaplasma
Cytoplasmic membrane (Cell or plasma
membrane
Cytoplasmic membrane (Cell or plasma
membrane)
is the physical and metabolic barrier
between the interior and exterior of the
bacterial cell
Functions:
Selective permeability,
electron transportation and oxidation
Forms mesosomes (complex
invaginations) in some bacteria.
 The outer membrane
Is composed of lipids, proteins and lipopolysaccharide
(LPS)
 The proteins include porin which form membrane
channels for the transport of ions and hydrophilic
compounds.
 LPS is composed of :
 a lipid portion, lipid A,

 a polysaccharide rich core and

 a polysaccharide side chain

 The polysaccharide portion of LPS is antigenic and

is designated the O- antigen
 Lipid A is heat stable,

 is responsible for the biologic effect of endotoxin.

Cytoplasmic compounds
 Contains DNA, ribosome and storage granules.
 DNA: No nuclear membrane. DNA is concentrated in the
cytoplasm as a nucleod (chromosomal DNA)
 The nucleod represents 2-3% of the cell dry weight or >10% of
cell volume
 Plasmids: extrachromosomal DNA. Smaller than chromosomal
DNA
 Code for variable numbers of of genes e.g. virulent property,
antibiotic resistance.
 Ribosomes:
 Bacterial ribosome have coefficient of sedimentation of 70S
 Are composed of two subunits, 50S and 30S subunits, are
associated with protein synthesis
 Are targets for antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis
 Storage granules:
 Temporarily hold excess metabolites. Their presence vary with
bacteria and metabolic activity. E.g.metachromatic or volutin
granules, sulphur granules, poly-ß-hydroxybutyric acid, starch
and glycogen.
 External structures- Capsules
 1. Capsule & slime
layer: surround many
bacterial cells including
several pathogenic
species. E.g. Haempphilus
influenzae, Streptococcus
pnemoniae, Klebsiella
spp., Bacillus anthracis
 Composed of complex
polysaccharides.
 are resistant to proteolytic
enzymes,
 help capsulated strains
evade phagocytosis and
desiccation.
 Are useful for adherence
 2. Flagella ( flagellum)

 Are bacterial organs of motility enabling

organisms to move towards nutrient,
away from adverse conditions and
penetrate host mucus.
 Are composed of flagellins (antigenic in
nature)
 Flagella can be single (monotrichous) or
multiple, located at one end (polar) or
distributed over the surface of the
bacterium (Peritrichous).
 Can exhibit phase variation.
 Flagellin is immunogenic and some
bacteria have developed a system of
switching between types of flagella
(smooth S or rough, R), constant and
variable regions.
Flagellar localization
 Polar or peritrichous location

E. coli Bartonella Vibrio Spirillum

 Bacterial spores
Bacterial spores are
metabolically inert forms
triggered by adverse
environmental conditions;
Adapted for long term
survival and it allows
regrowth when conditions are
favorable.
 Spores are resistant to heat,
desiccation and many
chemicals.
 Pathogenic bacteria that
produce spores include
Clostridium spp.(Cl tetani, Cl.
perferenges)
 Bacillus species
 Pili/fimbriae
 Fimbriae:
 thin projections that aid adhesion to
host cells for colonisation.
 E.g. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
have specialized fimbriae (P
fimbriae) that bind to mannose
receptors on ureteric epithelial cells
 Fimbriae are also important in
infections caused by Neisseria
gonorrhoeae.
 Not involved in motility
 Pili: long thin protein filaments that
cover the entire surface of Gram-
negative bacteria.
 Common Pili: play a role in bacterial
adherence to mucosal surfaces.
 Sex (F) pili: are specifically involved in
bacterial conjugation.
Functions of Pili
 Conjugation (E. coli F pilus)
 DNA uptake (Neisseria)
 Phage receptors
 Adhesion
 Early steps in biofilm formation
 Twitching motility (Pseud aeruginosa)
 Resist phagocytosis
 Antigenic variation (Neisseria gonorrhea)
Transport mechanisms in
bacteria
 A microbial cell must take on nutrients from its surroundings
by transporting them across the cell membrane. Three
general types of transports are Passive transport and Active
transport.
 Passive transport: Diffusion , Osmosis
 Atoms or molecules move in a gradient from area of high
density or concentration to an area of lesser
concentration.No energy is expended.
 Facilitated diffusion: large molecules are bound by
membrane proteins and transported across without the
expenditure of energy. The molecules are altered in
configuration.
 Active transport: Substances are taken into the cell by a
process that consumes energy. Substances are transported
against concentration gradient or along a concentration
gradient at a greater speed.
 Phagocytosis and pinocytosis are forms of active
transport in which bulk quantities of solid and fluid are taken
into the cell
Medically important groups of
bacteria
 Gram-positive cocci:
 Staphylococci (catalase positive), Streptococci (catalase
negative
 Gram- negative cocci
 Neisseria meningitidis (meningitis), Neisseria gonorrhoea
(gonorrhoea).
 Cocco-bacilli
 Haemophilus, Brucella, Pasteurrella
 Gram-positive bacilli
 Aerobic: Bacillus e.g bacillus anthracis
 Anaerobic: Clostridium spp
 Gram-negative bacilli: Enterobacteria e.g. E.coli,
Salmonella. Klebsiella sp.
 Spiral bacteria: Helicobacter, Campylobacter spp.
 Leptospira,Treponema
 Rickettsia,
Bacterial classification
 Bacteria are classified or identified by using a series of
observable characteristics.
 Staining: Gram reaction: Gram positive or Gram-negative
 Special stains e.g Ziehl Neelsen (Zn) stain for Mycobacterium
tuberculosis
 Cell shape : cocc (spheres), bacilli(rods) or spira (spirilla,
vibrios, and spirochetes)
 Presence, shape and position of endospores e.g. terminal,
subterminal or central
 Atmospheric preference: aerobic – require oxygen
 Anaerobic organisms require little or no oxygen. Microaerophiles
prefer a reduced oxygen tension; capnophiles prefer increased
carbon dioxide
 Biochemical reactions
 Serology- antigen and antibody reaction
 Genetic relatedness- Molecular biology tests.