BACTERIAL SPORES

Under conditions of limited supply of nutrition, certain bacteria form highly resistant,
dehydrated forms called spores or endospores, capable of surviving under adverse
conditions, e.g. (Bacillus species, Clostridium species, Gram-positive coccus
sporosarcina)
Features of bacterial spores
 Are formed in response to certain adverse nutritional conditions
 Are inactive bacterial cells
 More resistant to desiccation, heat and various chemicals
 Contain calcium dipicolinate which aids in heat resistance within the core
 Germinate under favourable nutritional conditions
 Helpful in identifying some species of bacteria
 Spore germinate to produce a single vegetable cell
Classification of bacteria:
Classification of bacteria is a mixture of easily determined practical characteristics
(size, shape, colour, staining properties, respiration, reproduction) and of more
sophisticated analysis of immunological and biochemical criteria.
Diagnostic
Genus Common species
characteristics
Gram-positive bacteria
Cocci Staphylococcus Staph.aureus
Streptococcus S. pyogenes
S.pneumoniae
Bacilli
Aerobic Bacillus B. anthracis
Mycobacterium M. tuberculosis
Nocardia N. asteroides
Anaerobic Clostridium CI. tetani
Actinomyces A.israeli
Facultative anaerobic Listeria L. monocytogenes
Erysepelothrix E. rhusiopathiae
Corynebacterium C. diphtheriae
Gram-negative bacteria
Cocci Neisseria N. meningitidis
Bacilli
Aerobic Pseudomonas P. aeruginosa
Streptobacillus S. moniliformis
Brucella B. abortus
Bordetella B. pertussis
Anaerobic Bacteroides B. fragilis
Fusobacterium F. nucleatum
Facultative Escherichia Esch. coli
anaerobic Salmonella S. typhi
Shigella Sh. flexneri
Klebsiella K. pneumoniae
Yersinia Y. pestis
Campylobacter C. fetus
Haemophilus H. influenzae
Vibrio V. cholerae
Spiral
Treponema T. pallidum
Borrelia B. recu"entis
Leptospira L. icterohaemorrhagiae
Other bacteria
Wall deficient Mycoplasma M. pneumoniae
Obligate intracellular
Rickettsia R. prowazekii
parasites
Coxiella C. burnetti
Chlamydia C. trachomatis