BACTERIA

INTRODUCTION TO BACTERIA

Microscopic, single celled microbes

Simple cell structure

Control centre single loop of DNA

Ubiquitously found

Some bacteria contain an extra circle of genetic material PLASMIDS

SIZE, SHAPE & ARRANGEMENT

Approximately 0.5 1.0 m in diameter, high surface area

/volume ratio

Bacteria are either spherical (cocci), straight rods (bacilli) or

rods that are helically curved (spirilla)
Some cells are pleomorphic, e.g Arthrobacter

BACTERIAL CLASSIFICATION

Gram Negative bacteria

Gram Positive bacteria

Bacteria with unusual properties

Gram Positive filamentous bacteria with complex

morphology

GRAM NEGATIVE BACTERIA

Section

Characteristics

Family and Genus

Spirochaetes

Flexible
Helical
Periplasmic flagella
Saprophytes/ Parasites

Spirochaetaceae

Treponema
Borrelia

Leptospiraceae

Leptospira

Aerobic/microaerophilic,mo
tile, helical/vibroid, Gram
negative bacteria

Rigid
Swim by means of
polar flagella
Oxidative type of
metabolism

Rigid
Curved, ring shaped or
helical cells lacking
flagella
Saprophytes

Spirosomaceae

Spirosoma
Runella

Flectobacillus

Nonmotile (or rarely

motile) Gram negative
bacteria

Aerobic Gram negative

rods and cocci

Rigid
Straight/slightly
curved
Oxidative metabolism
Saprophytes &
parasites

Aquaspirillium
Azospirillium
Oceanospirillium
Campylobacter
Bdellovibrio

Microcyclus

Pseudomonadaceae

Pseudomonas
Xanthomonas

Zoogloea
Azotobacteraceae

Azotobacter

Rhizobiaceae

Rhizobium

Bradyrhizobium

Agrobacterium
Methylococcaceae
Methylococcus

Methylomonas
Acetobacteraceae

Acetobacter

Gluconobacter
Legionellaceae

Legionella
Neisseraceae

Neisseria

Acinetobacter
Facultatively anaerobic
Gram negative rods

Rigid
Straight or curved rods
Oxidative and
fermentative
metabolism
Saprophytes &
parasites

Enterobacteriaceae

Escherichia
Shigella

Salmonella
Enterobacter

Erwinia

Serratia

Proteus

Yersinia

Vibrionaceae

Vibrio
Aeromonas

Pasteurellaceae

Pasteurella

Haemophilus

Actinobacillus
Anaerobic Gram negative
straight, curved and
helical rods

Dissimilatory sulfate or
sulfur reducing bacteria

Anaerobic Gram negative

cocci

Rigid
Energy by
frementation/anaerobi
c respiration
Parasites

Bacteroidaceae

Bacteroides
Fusobacterium

Rigid
Anaerobic
Sulfur compounds as
electron acceptors
Saprophytes &
parasites

Rigid
Nonmotile
Fermentative
Parasites

Desulfuromonas
Desulfovibrio
Desulfococcus

Veillonellaceae

Veillonella

Acidaminococcus
Megasphaera

Rickettsias and
Chlamydias

Rigid, tiny cells

Intracellular parasites
of humans, other
animals and
arthropods
Can be cultivated in
host cells and
sometimes on culture
media

Rickettsiaceae
Rickettsia

Rochalimaea

Coxiella
Bartonellaceae

Bartonella
Anaplasmataceae
Chlamydiaceae

Chlamydia

Mycoplasmas

Soft
Nonmotile
lack cell walls
Saprophytes &
parasites

Mycoplasmataceae
Mycoplasma

Acholeplasmataceae

Acholeplasma
Spiroplasmataceae

Spiroplasma

Endosymbionts

Bacteria like forms

Obligate parasites of
protozoa, arthropods
or other hosts
Not been isolated or
cultivated

Lyticum flagellatum

GRAM POSITIVE BACTERIA

Section
Gram Positive cocci

Charcteristics

1. Aerobic/Facultative
anaerobic

2.

3.

Strictly
respiratory/respiratory
+ fermentative/ strictly
fermentative (may be
aerotolerant or
anaerobic)
Possess cytochromes
Can respire by using
oxygen
Some under anaerobic
conditions obtain
energy by fermentation

Aerotolerant
Fermentative

Anaerobic

Family and Genus

Do not possess
cytochromes
Only fermenatative
metabolism, yet can
grow both aerobically
and anerobically
Arranged in pairs,
chains or terads
Fermentative
metabolism
Some require external
supply of fermentable
carbohydrate to grow
Most form CO, H,
short chain fatty acids

Deinicoccaceae
Deinococcus

Micrococcaceae

Micrococcus

Planaococcus

Staphylococcus

Streptococcus
Leuconostoc
Pediococcus

Peptococcus
Peptostreptococcus
Ruminococcus
Coprococcus
Sarcina

Endospore forming Gram

positive bacteria

1. Aerobic/facultatively
anaerobic sporeforming
rods and cocci

2. Anaerobic
sporeforming rods

Mainly rod shaped,

some are cocci
Most anaerobes live by
fermentation, some
respire anaerobically
using sulfate
Flagella, if present, is
peritrichous
Rod shaped bacteria
Most are harmless
saprophytes
many form exocellular
enzymes, hydrolyse
proteins or complex
polysaccharides causing
food spoilage
Fermentative
metabolism
Soil, marine and fresh
water, intestinal tract of
humans and animals
Species differentiated
by proteolytic activity,
various enzyme
activities, acid
production from
carbohydrates, kind and

Bacillus
Sporosarcina

Clostridium
Desulfotomaculum

Nonsporeforming Gram
positive rods of regular
shape

Nonsporeforming Gram
positive rods of irregular
shape

1. Aerobic/facultatively
anaerobic
nonfilamentous rods

2. Aerobic/facultatively
anaerobic branched
filamentous rods

Heterogenous group
(Saprophytes, Parasites
and Pathogens)
Cells have a uniform
appearance without
swelling or branching
Some occur in
trichomes
Cells may exhibit
swellings
Y or V shaped cells
Some are filamentous
during some stage of
growth
Straight to slightly
curved rods that exhibit
swelling
Capable of respiratory
metabolism and in som
e instances
fermentative
metabolism
Initially form
microcolonies
containing branched
filamentous cells
On further growth,

Lactobacillus
Caryophanon
Listeria
Renibacterium

Corynebacterium
Arthrobacter
Brevibacterium
Microbacterium
Cellulomonas

Agromyces
Arachnia
Rothia

3. Anaerobic
nonfilamentous or
filamentous rods

Differentiated by their
morphology and
fermentation end
products

Propionibacterium
Actinomycetes
Bifidobacterium

Mycobacteria

Aerobic
Slightly curved or
straight rods,
sometimes show
branching
Stain acid-fast

Mycobacterium

Aerobic
Tend to form substrate
mycelium that
fragments into rod or
coccoid cells and
sometimes form an
aerial mycelium
Conidiospores develop
from aerial hyphae
Several genera possess
mycolic acids in the cell
wall
Peptidoglycan contains
meso-diaminopimelic
acid
No glycine bridges
occur between
peptidoglycan chains
Walls contain arabinose

Nocardia
Pseudonocardia

Nocardiforms

SIGNIFICANCE OF BACTERIA

Role in agriculture

Scavenging Role: Saprophytic bacteria obtain food from

organic remains such as animal excreta, fallen leaves, meat &
decompose these substances by action of digestive enzymes
aerobically or anaerobically, sanitation of nature E.g.
Pseudomonas
Nitrification: Rhizobium bacteria helps in fixing atmospheric
nitrogen. Similarly, Nitrosomanas and Nitrococcus convert
ammonium salt to nitrites. Nitrites are further changed to
nitrates by Nitrobacter and Nitrocystis. It enables plants to
uptake nitrogen.
Production of Organic Manure: Saprophytic bacteria help
in breaking of complex organic substance to simpler forms.

 Preparation of Ensilage: Ensilage is preserved cattle fodder

prepared by packing fresh chopped fodder sprinkled with
molasses. Fermentation activity of bacteria produces lactic acid
that acts as preservative in ensilage.
Production of fuel: Bacteria, while converting animal dung
and other organic wastes to manure, help in production of fuel
that is a must in gobar gas plant.
Disposal of sewage: Bacteria help in disposal of sewage by
decomposing it and thus, help in environmental sanitation

Role in Industry

Dairy Industry: Bacteria such as Streptococcus lactis convert

milk sugar lactose into lactic acid that coagulates casein (milk
protein). Then, milk is converted into curd, yoghurt, cheese etc
needed for the industry.

Production of Organic Compounds: Fermentation action of

various bacteria produces organic compounds like lactic acid
(by Lactobacillus), acetic acid (by Acetobacter aceti), acetone
(by Clostridium acetabutylicum)

 Fibre Retting: The action of some bacteria like

Clostridium,Pseudomonas etc. help in fibre retting i.e. separation of
stem and leaf fibre of plants from other softer tissues.
Curing: The leaves of tea and tobacco, beans of coffee and coca
are cured off their bitterness with the help of action of certain
bacteria such as Bacillus megatherium.
Production of Antibiotics: Number of anti bacterial and anti
fungal antibiotics such as Hamycin, Polymyxin, Trichomycin etc are
obtained from mycelia bacteria (like Streptomyces). Similarly,
Bacillus is used for production of antibiotics such as Bacitracin,
Gramicidin etc
Production of Vitamins: Different kinds of vitamins are produced
from bacteria like Riboflavin from Clostridium butylicum, Vitamin
B12 from Bacillus megatherium and Vitamin K and B-complex from
Escherichia coli.

 Harmful effects of Bacteria

Food Spoiling: Saprophytic bacteria always not only help in
decomposition of dead matters, but they also cause the rotting
of vegetables, fruits, meat, bread etc.
Food Poisoning: Bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus cause
food poisoning and cause people diarrhea and vomiting.
Damaging of domestic articles: Spirochete cytophaga
deteriorates cotton, leather and wooden articles.
Denitrification: Bacteria such as Thiobacillus and
Microbacillus convert nitrate of the soil to the gaseous
nitrogen. This hampers plants very much.
Desulphurication: Bacteria such as Desulfovibrio convert soil
sulphates into hydrogen sulphide.
Cause of Diseases: It is known that over 90% of human
diseases and over 10% of plant diseases are caused by
bacteria.

GRAM POSITIVE
FILAMENTOUS BACTERIA
OF COMPLEX
MORPHOLOGY

Section
Filamentous bacteria that
divide in more than one
plane

Characteristics

Filamentous bacteria that

form true sporangia

Streptomyces and Similar

Genera

Family and Genus

Hyphae divide
transversely and
longitudinally to form
clusters or spores
Can be soil organisms,
animal pathogens and
symbiotic N fixers
Cell wall type III

Dermatophilus
Frankia

Harmless soil and water

organisms
Hyphae divides in single
plane
Spores within special
sacs
Cell wall type II or III

Actinoplanes

Hyphae divides in single

plane
Long chains of
conidiospores formed at
the tip of hyphae
Harmless soil
organisms, noted for
antibiotic production
Few plant and human
pathogens
Cell wall type I

Streptoverticillium
Actinosporangium
Microellobosporia
Actinopycnidium

Additional filamentous
bacteria having uncertain
taxonomic placement

Heterogenous
collection
Some have remarkable
morphological or
physiological properties
Few are human
pathogens
Cell wall types vary

Actinopolyspora
Thermomonospora
Thermoactinomycetes
Actinosynnema

BACTERIA WITH UNUSUAL

PROPERTIES

Section
Anoxygenic phototrophic
bacteria

Characteristics

Gram negative
Contain
bacteriochlorophyll
Use light as a source of
energy
Anaerobic,
do
not
evolve
O
during
photosynthesis

Family and Genus

Oxygenic phototrophic
bacteria

Photolithotrophic/phot
o-organotrophic type
of metabolism
Occur in anaerobic
fresh water or marine
environment
Contain water
insoluble carotenoid
pigments

Diverse shapes and

arrangements
Gas vacuoles may be
formed by many
speices
Can use light as source
of energy
Evolve O

Purple Phototrophic
Bacteria

Rhodospirillaceae

Rhodospirillium

Rhodopseudom
onas

Rhodomicrobiu
m
Chromatiaceae

Chromatium

Thiocystis

Thiospirillium
Green Phototrophic
Bacteria

Chlorobiaceae

Prosthecochlori
s
Chloroflexaceae

Chloroflexus
Cyanobacteria
Prochlorophytes

Gliding non fruiting

bacteria

Sheathed bacteria

Budding and/or
appendaged bacteria

Gram negative
Non phototrophic
Rods, filaments or
multicellular
trichomes
Most are aerobic or
microaerophilic and
live in soil or water
Many speices can
degrade natural
polymers

Capnocytophaga
Beggiatoa

Gram negative
Aerobic, non
phototrophic
Characterized by
sheath formation
around a chain of
cells or a trichome

Sphaerotilus

Gram negative, non

phototrophic
Characterized by
formation of
prosthecae or stalks
Reproduce by
budding

Prosthecate Budding
Hyphomicrobium

Ancalomicrobium

Prosthecate Non Budding

Caulobacter

Non Prosthecate Budding

BlastocaulisPlantomyces

Chemolithotrophic Bacteria

Archaeobacteria

Gram negative, nonphototrophic

Obtain energy by
oxidation of ammonia,
nitrite, sulfur or ferrous
iron

Nitrobactereaceae
Siderocapsaceae

Gram positive or Gram

negative
Some produce methane
gas
Some require high levels
of NaCl
Some grow at low pH and
high temperature

Methanogenic
bacteria
Extreme Halophiles
Thermoacidophiles

Thermoplasma

Sulfolobus