BITS Pilani

Morphology & Fine

Structure of Bacteria

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Single bacillus

Diplobacilli
2 m

Streptobacilli

5 m

Coccobacillus

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1 m
Structural parts of a prokaryotic cell, showing appendages (pilus
and flagellum) exterior to the envelope and the cytoplasm and its
contents within. The capsule that surrounds some prokaryotes is
not shown. 3
 Capsule
Cytoplasm
Ribosomes
Inclusion Cell wall
Plasma membrane
Nuclear area
(nucleoid)
containing DNA
Plasmid
Capsule
Cell wall
Plasma
membrane

Fimbriae Flagella

A bacterial cell showing typical structures 4

 The flagellum of
a Gram-negative
bacterium.

L ring

P ring
rod

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 Flagella (cont)
These rings anchor the flagellum to the various layers of
the envelope. The center portion of flagellum within rings
is free to rotate and called the rod.
Gram(-) bacteria has 4 rings:
L ring (for lipopolysaccharide), embedded in outer
membrane).
P ring (for peptidoglycan), embedded in cell wall.
S ring (for superficial), above cytoplasmic membrane.
M ring (for membrane), associated with cytoplasmic
membrane.
Motor proteins hang into the cytoplasm & rotate the
flagella.
In Gram(+) bacteria, only the inner pair is present. They
lack outer pair (L and P ring). 7
Tactic response (movement of bacteria)
Chemotaxis
Bacteria are capable of directed swimming towards
(positive) or away (negative) from various chemical
compounds - a phenomenon called bacterial
chemotaxis.
Bacteria sense the change in the concentration of
surrounding medium by means of protein called
chemoreceptors, which are located on the
cytoplasmic membrane and are specific for various
chemicals.
The most thoroughly studied tactic response is
chemotaxis of E. coli (which is peritrichous, has 6 to
10 flagella spread over its surface).
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Other types of taxis (Tactic response)
Aerotaxis: When they swim to regions that contain
favourable concentration of dissolved oxygen.
Phototaxis: Photosynthetic bacteria swim towards
region of optimal light intensity.
Magnetotaxis: When bacteria travel along magnetic
line of force. This is due to a chain of electron dense
magnetite inclusions (magnetosomes; Fe3O4) with in the
cell. Because of downward force of earths magnetic
field, magnetotaxis direct the cells to sediment at bottom
of marine or fresh water, where conditions are most
favourable for them. E. Aquaspirrilium magnetotacticum,
Magnetobacterium bavaricum, Magnetospirillum
magneticum 10
 Magnetosomes

Magnetosomes in Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum

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3. Pili (sing. Pilus)

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Fimbriae in E. coli
Sex-pillus
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 Sex-pillus
(Conjugation pili)
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4. Glycocalyx (Capsule)
Most bacteria, both gram(+) & gram(-), secrete gummy
substances called glycocalyx that form a layer outside
the cells, called variously as capsule, slime layer or a
glycocalyx.
Glycocalyx (meaning sugar coat):
(a) Capsule: If the substance is organized and is
firmly attached with cell wall.
(b) Slime layer: If the substance is unorganized
and is loosely attached with cell wall.

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5. Sheath
Some species of bacteria, particularly those from
fresh water and marine environment, form chains
or trichomes that are enclosed by a single entirely
attached hollow tube called sheeth.

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6. Prosthecae (sing. Prostheca)

These are semi-rigid extension of cell wall and

cytoplasmic membrane, generally found in aerobic
bacteria of fresh water and marine environment.
Prostheca increase the surface area of cell for
nutrient absorption, which is advantageous in dilute
environment. 17
Peptidoglycan
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Structure & Composition of cell wall:
The peptide contents (amino acid sequence) vary with
bacterial species, but the most common type is 4 amino
acid long.
Two of them are L-isomers (normal form) and other
two are D-isomers (rare in nature).
It contains L-alanine, D-alanine, D-glutamic acid, and
a diamino pimelic acid (L- or meso-diamino-pimelic
acid / L-lysine / L-ornithine/ L-diaminobutyric acid).
These D-amino acids do not occur in normal proteins in
biological world and protects against attacks or
degradation by most peptidases, which recognizes only
L-isomers of amino acid residues.
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 The peptide chain is connected from its amino group
to the carboxyl group of N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM)
by covalent bond.

Peptidoglycan
Structure of the peptide bridges in E. coli.
The carboxyl group of the terminal D-alanine is connected
directly to the amino group of L- diamino-pimelic acid.
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 Gram (+) bacteria have
a penta-glycine
crosslink which form a
peptide interbridge
b/w D-alanine and
diamino-pimelic acid
(eg. S. aureus).
However, most gram (-)
bacteria lack this bridge
(eg. E. coli)

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Wall of Gram (+) Bacteria:
Gram (+) bacteria have many layers thick peptidoglycan in
cell wall as compare to gram (-) bacteria which have only
single layer of peptidoglycan.
Cell wall of gram (+) bacteria also contains teichoic acid,
(polymers of glycerol or ribitol jointed by phosphate
groups). The teichoic acids are connected to either the
peptidoglycan itself (wall techoic acid) or to plasma
membrane lipids by a covalent bond; in the later case they
are called as lipotechoid acid.
Teichoic acids are negatively charged (due to PO4- group)
and may bind & regulate the movement of cations (like
Mg+2), it give Gram (+) cell wall its negative charge.
Teichoic acids are absent in gram-negative bacteria.
They may be important in maintaining the structural
integrity of the wall.
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Gram (+) envelop
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Wall of Gram (-) Bacteria:
Have single layer of peptidoglycan which lies with in
outer membrane.
The outer membrane is bilayered. The inner layer
consists of phospholipids and proteins and the outer
layer is composed mainly of lipo-polysaccharide
(LPS).
LPS have lipid end (hydrophobic) and
polysaccharide end (hydrophilic) projecting outside
and in this respect is similar to phospholipids.

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Bacterial spores
Exospore or cyst:

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