Bacterial Morphology

Microbe Classification

Bacterial Morphology

• Cell Shape and Arrangement
  • Cocci (spherical): can be in clusters (staphylococci), chains (streptococci), or pairs (diplococci)
  • Bacilli (rod-shaped): can be single or in chains
  • Spiral-shaped (spirilla) or comma-shaped (vibrios)
• Cell Size and Motility
  • Typically 0.5-5.0 μm in length
  • Can be motile (flagella) or non-motile
• Cell Wall Composition
  • Peptidoglycan (peptide-sugar molecule) provides structural support
  • Gram-positive bacteria have thick peptidoglycan layer, Gram-negative have thin layer with outer membrane
• Staining Characteristics
  • Gram staining: distinguishes between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
  • Acid-fast staining: detects mycobacteria

Fungal Classification

• Kingdom Fungi
  • Subkingdoms: Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota
• Characteristics
  • Eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms
  • Cell walls composed of chitin
  • Obtain nutrients by decomposing organic matter or forming symbiotic relationships
• Classification based on Reproductive Structures
  • Zygomycota: produce zygospores
  • Ascomycota: produce asci containing ascospores
  • Basidiomycota: produce basidia containing basidiospores
• Examples of Fungi
  • Mushrooms (Basidiomycota)
  • Molds (Ascomycota)
  • Bread mold (Zygomycota)

Bacterial Morphology

• Bacteria can be classified based on cell shape, with three main types: cocci (spherical), bacilli (rod-shaped), and spiral-shaped (spirilla) or comma-shaped (vibrios)
• Cocci can be arranged in clusters (staphylococci), chains (streptococci), or pairs (diplococci)
• Bacilli can be single or in chains

Cell Size and Motility

• Bacteria typically range in length from 0.5-5.0 μm
• Some bacteria are motile, using flagella for movement, while others are non-motile

Cell Wall Composition

• Peptidoglycan, a peptide-sugar molecule, provides structural support to bacterial cells
• Gram-positive bacteria have a thick peptidoglycan layer, while Gram-negative bacteria have a thin layer with an outer membrane

Staining Characteristics

• Gram staining is used to distinguish between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
• Acid-fast staining is used to detect mycobacteria

Fungal Classification

• The kingdom Fungi is divided into four subkingdoms: Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota

Characteristics of Fungi

• Fungi are eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms
• Their cell walls are composed of chitin
• They obtain nutrients by decomposing organic matter or forming symbiotic relationships

Classification based on Reproductive Structures

• Zygomycota fungi produce zygospores
• Ascomycota fungi produce asci containing ascospores
• Basidiomycota fungi produce basidia containing basidiospores

Examples of Fungi

• Mushrooms belong to the Basidiomycota subkingdom
• Molds belong to the Ascomycota subkingdom
• Bread mold belongs to the Zygomycota subkingdom

This quiz covers the characteristics of bacteria, including cell shape, size, arrangement, and motility, as well as cell wall composition. Learn about the different types of bacteria and their features.