Microbiology

Unit: Bacteriology

Somsubhra Thakur Choudhury

“You could also ask who’s in charge. Lots
of people think, well, we’re humans;
we’re the most intelligent and
accomplished species; we’re in charge.
Bacteria may have a different outlook:
more bacteria live and work in one linear
centimeter of your lower colon than all
the humans who have ever lived. That’s
what’s going on in your digestive tract
Neil deGrasse Tyson
right now. Are we in charge, or are we Famous American
simply hosts for bacteria? It all depends astrophysicist, author,
on your outlook.” and science
communicator.
 How many?

• 40 million bacteria in a gram of dirt

• 1 million in a mL of fresh water
• 5x1030 bacteria in the world
• Your body has 10x’s more bacteria cells than
human cells in it
 What are Bacteria?

• Bacteria are microscopic single-celled organisms that thrive in

diverse environments. They can live within soil, in the ocean and
inside the human gut.
• Humans' relationship with bacteria is complex. Sometimes they
lend a helping hand, by curdling milk into yogurt, or helping with
our digestion. At other times they are destructive, causing
different diseases.
Size

Most bacterial cells range in size from 0.2 to 10 micrometers in diameter

Advantage of small shape
• High surface area/volume ratio
• Gases and food molecules dissolved in water must be absorbed and waste
products must be eliminated. For most cells, this passage of all materials in
and out of the cell must occur through the plasma membrane

Largest bacterium: Thiomargarita namibiensis, found in the ocean sediments of

the continental shelf of Namibia. Size: 0.1–0.3 mm (100–300 μm) in diameter, but
sometimes attaining 0.75 mm (750 μm).
Smallest bacterium: Mycoplasma genitalium, a parasitic bacterium which lives
in the primate bladder, waste disposal organs, genital, and respiratory tracts, is thought
to be the smallest known organism capable of independent growth and reproduction.
With a size of approximately 200 to 300 nm (0.2-0.3 μm).
Shape of bacteria
Bacteria are classified into 5 groups according to their basic shapes:
a. rod (bacilli),
b. spherical (cocci),
c. spiral (spirilla),
d. corkscrew (spirochaetes).
e. comma (vibrios)

Cylindrical Spherical
Spiral or curve
(a) Staphylococcus aureus, cocci arranged in clusters; scanning electron micrograph
(b) Streptococcus agalactiae, cocci arranged in chains; color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph
(c) Bacillus megaterium, a rod-shaped bacterium arranged in chains, Gram stain Light microscope.
(d) Rhodospirillum rubrum, phase contrast .
(e) Vibrio cholera, curved rods with polar flagella; scanning electron micrograph.
Arrangements of cells

Types of cocci:
a. Diplococci
b. Streptococci
c. Staphylococci or micrococci
d. Tetrad
Division in 1 plane
Diplococci:
Division is at the center but there is no complete separation of the 2 daughter
cells

Streptococcus:
In chains, divide in only one plane but does not separate after division.
Division in 2 plane
Tetrad:
Cocci that divide in two planes and remain in groups of four.

Micrococcus sp
Division in 3 plane
Staphylococcus:
Cocci that divide in three planes producing clusters of bacteria resembling
bunches of grapes.
Division in 3 plane
Sarcina:
Cocci that divide in three planes and remain attached in cubelike groups of
eight.
 Lactobacillus sp.

Bacillus subtilis
Next class:
Bacterial structure