11.

2 : DOMAIN
BACTERIA AND
ARCHAEA

OBJECTIVES :
Explain the unique characteristics of
prokaryotes
Classify prokaryotes into two domains:
Bacteria
Archaea
Describe the diversity of bacteria
based on
cell shapes, Gram-stain and position of
flagella

Contrast the cellular and DNA structures

of prokaryotes and eukaryotes .

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
PROKARYOTES
Unicellular prokaryotes
Genetic material (DNA)
Single circular DNA

In Bacteria, DNA not associate with

histone
In Archaea, DNA associate with histone

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
PROKARYOTES
Unicellular prokaryotes
Genetic material (DNA)
has no nuclear envelope, DNA
located in nucleoid region
Bacteria and Archaea have extra
small circular DNA called plasmid

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
PROKARYOTES
Organelles
Contain few organelles, which dont
have membrane-bounded organelles;
eg : ribosome
Reproduction
Reproduce asexually : binary fission
and reproduce sexually : conjugation

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
PROKARYOTES
Some bacteria become dormant
in unfavourable condition
form endospore
(Archaea do not form endospores but
produce unique enzyme for
protection)

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
PROKARYOTES
Great metabolic diversity (various modes of
nutrition) to make organic compound
MODE

ENERGY CARB
SOURCE
ON
SOUR
CE

PHOTOAUTOTR Light
CO2
OPH
CHEMOAUTOTR Oxidatio CO2
OPH
n of
Inorgani
c

EXAMPLE

Cyanobact
eria
Nitrifying
bacteria,
eg:
Nitrosomo

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
PROKARYOTES
MODE

ENERGY
SOURCE

PHOTOHETE Light
ROTROPH

CARBON
SOURCE

EXAMPLE

Organic Rhodobact
compou er sp. ,
nd
Rhodospiril
lum sp.

CHEMOHETE Organic Organic Staphyloco

ROTROPH
compou compou ccussp.
(saproptrop nd
nd
hs or
pathogenic)

 PHOTOAUTOTROPH:

e.g. Cyanobacteria

CHEMOAUTOTROPH:

e.g. Staphylococcus sp.

PHOTOHETEROTROPH:

e.g. Rhodobacter sp.

CHEMOHETEROTROPH
e.g. Nitrosomonas sp.

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
PROKARYOTES
Present of cell wall
to maintain shape and provide protection
Bacteria : cell wall composed of peptidoglycan
Archaea: cell wall lack of peptidoglycan
Have capsules
additional protection ; resistant to hosts
defense
can cause disease (pathogenic)
Have mesosomes
tightly folded of plasma membrane
site for cellular respiration

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
PROKARYOTES
Flagella
- Contain flagellin protein
- For motility (propel in helical
orientation)

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF
PROKARYOTES
Presence of fimbriae
Enable prokaryotes to attach to one
another or to cell surfaces.
Present of pili
Longer than fimbriae
To assist conjugation (allow
prokaryotes to
exchange DNA)

GENERAL STRUCTURE OF
PROKARYOTES
PILI
CAPSULE
CELL WALL
CHROMATOPHORE

NUCLEOID
FIMBRIAE

FLAGELLA

PLASMA
MEMBRANE
MESOSOME
CYTOPLASM

CLASSIFICATION OF
PROKARYOTES

Divide into 2 domains:

1. Archaea
e.g. Sulfolobus sp.
2. Bacteria
e.g. E. coli , Cyanobacteria (blue
green algae)

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
BACTERIA AND ARCHAEA
BACTERIA
Cell wall contain
peptidoglycan
In plasma
membrane,
straight-chain fatty
acids are linked to
glycerol by ester
linkage

ARCHAEA
Cell walls lack of
peptidoglycan
In plasma
membrane,
branched-chain
hydrocarbon are
linked to glycerol by
ether linkage

DNA is not
associated with

DNA is associated
with histone

Structure of lipids in plasma membrane

between Eubacteria and Archea

Extra Info on Archaea

Thermophiles thrive at
60-800C

Acidophiles thrive at pH 3
or below

Xerophiles grow in
extremely dry conditions

Halophiles require
extremely high
concentrations of salt

DIVERSITY OF BACTERIA
Based on:
i. Cell shapes
ii. Gram-stain
iii.Position of flagella

DIVERSITY OF BACTERIA: (i)

SHAPE
Cell shape
Spherical
i.e. coccus

Comma
Rod

Spiral

i.e. bacillusi.e. spirillum

i.e. vibrio

1) Spherical
Known as coccus (pl. cocci)
Exist as unicellular, two-celled

or colonies (chain or cluster)

Examples :

- Two celled
Diplococcus sp.

- Chain
Streptococcus sp.

- Cluster / clump
Staphylococcus sp.

2) Rod-shape
Known as bacillus (pl. bacilli)
Exist as unicellular, colonies

(chain)
e.g. Bacillus thuringiensis, E.
coli

3) Spiral
Known as spirillum (pl.

spirilla)
Exist as unicellular
e.g. Rhodospirillum sp.

4) Comma @known as vibrio

shape
Exist as unicellular
e.g. Vibrio cholerae

DIVERSITY OF BACTERIA: (ii)

GRAM STAIN
Gram stain

Gram-positive

Gram-negative

e.g. Lactobacillus sp. , e.g. E. coli ,

Clostridium sp.
Azotobacter sp.,
Salmonella sp.

DIVERSITY OF BACTERIA: (ii)

GRAM STAIN
Gram Staining
A tool for identifying specific bacteria,
based on the differences in their cell
wall

GRAM- POSITIVE BACTERIA

Have simpler cell wall

Thick peptidoglycan layer
Stained blue/purple blue @ purple stain trapped in the thick peptidoglycan layer
Less pathogenic
e.g. Bacillus sp., Clostridium sp.

1) Gram-positive bacteria :

GRAM- NEGATIVE BACTERIA

Have more complex cell wall
Thin peptidoglycan layer
Lipopolysaccharide in outer

membrane of the cell wall

This lipopolysaccharides can be toxic

GRAM- NEGATIVE BACTERIA

The outer membrane protects the

bacteria from the hosts cell defense by

preventing the entry of antibiotics
Stained pink blue stain does not trap
in the thin peptidoglycanlayer
More pathogenic, cause diseases like
typhoid, gonorrhea
e.g. Salmonella sp. ,
E. coli ,
Azotobacter sp.

2) Gram-negative bacteria :

DIVERSITY OF BACTERIA: (ii)

GRAM STAIN
Gram positive
Cell wall has 1
layer : thick
peptidoglycans

Gram negative
Cell wall has 2 layer :
thin peptidoglycans
and outer membrane

Stain blue @
purple colour//
retain purple
colour of crystal
violet

Stain pink colour //

does not retain purple
colour of crystal violet

Less Pathogenic

More Pathogenic

DIVERSITY OF BACTERIA: (iii)

POSITION OF FLAGELLA
Based on the flagella, bacteria is
divided into :
-

Atrichous
Monotrichous
Amphitrichous
Cephalotrichous
Lophotrichous
Petritichous

 The positions of the flagella give the

bacteria different names:
POSITION OF
DESCRIPTION
FLAGELLA
Atrichous
Absence of flagella
Monotrichous A single flagellum present at
one end
Amphitrichou One flagellum present at both
s
ends
Cephalotricho A group of flagella present at
us
one end
Lophotrichous A group of flagella present at
both ends
Peritrichous
A number of flagella
distributed all over the surface
of bacteria

DIVERSITY OF BACTERIA: (III)

POSITION OF FLAGELLA

IMPORTANCE OF BACTERIA
i. Recycling of chemical elements in

ecosystem (nitrogen fixation)

E.g: Rhizobium sp.

Help in fixing of nitrogen from
atmosphere inside root nodules of
legume plants.
Plant use nitrogen for synthesis of
protein
and nucleic acid.

IMPORTANCE OF BACTERIA
ii.

Symbiotic (enterobacteria , e.g E.

coli in human intestine)

E. coli helps to digest complex

molecules
(lactose)
iii. Pathogenic

Harmful bacteria cause various

disease in
animal and plant
- e.g :
Tetanus: Clostridium tetani
Cholera: Vibrio cholerae
Syphilis: Treponema

IMPORTANCE OF BACTERIA
iv.

In research and technology

In food production
- E.g. cheeses, yoghurt and vinegar
In biotechnology
- E. coli used in gene cloning
- Bioremediation (oil spill clean up
using
bacteria
Medical research
- easily cultured

**CYANOBACTERIA (BLUE GREEN ALGAE

Single/colonial cell filament form
Thick-walled heterocyst
- contain nitrogenase to fix nitrogen
Akinetes
- Climate-resistant spores that form
when
environmental conditions become
unfavorable.
Vegetative cell
- have genes that encode protein for
photosynthesis

**

EXTRA

CYANOBACTERIA (BLUE GREEN AL