Bacteria

pp. 108 to 112

EUKARYOTES (TRUE
NUCLEUS)
(PLANT AND ANIMAL
CELLS)

PROKARYOTES (PRE-NUCLEUS)
(BACTERIA)

Nucleus

No nucleus

Lots of chromosomes

Usually one chromosome + some

plasmids

Mitochondria

No mitochondria

Chloroplasts in plant cells

No chloroplasts

Larger

Smaller

Bacteria: General Info

Two kingdoms:
Archaebacteria (early
bacteria) and Eubacteria
Unicellular (organism is
single-celled); can be
grouped into colonies
Do well in damp
environments, will become
inactive in dry environments
No nucleus but has single
chromosome and small
plasmids, which is also
genetic information

Archaebacteria 3
groups

Most live without O2 in extreme environments

Thermophiles
live in envs hotter than 45C (eg. Hot springs)

Methanogens
No O2, but abundant CO2/H2; produce methane gas
Swamps, marshes, volcanoes, intestines of
mammals

Halophiles
Live in salty environments (eg. Salt lakes, salt flats)

Thermophiles in hot springs of

Yellowstone Nat. Park

Methanogens in
cow intestines is
a source of fossil
fuel emission.
However,
methane gas can
be used as a
source of
electricity since

Halophiles love
salt. Middle
picture is the
Dead Sea!

Eubacteria & Structure

Most bacteria fall into this kingdom
Flagella act as a
propeller to move cell
Capsule sticky coat,
protective layer (protects
from hosts immune
system), seen in diseasecausing bacteria
Pili help bacteria attach
to each other and surface,
also helps with movement
Genetic material floats
in cytoplasm, no nucleus,
1 chromosome and
several plasmids
Ribosomes, cell

Classifying Bacteria
1. By Shape
2. By Gram Staining
3. By whether they need O2 to live or
not
4. By the type of food they need

Classification: Shape
Most bacteria are found in
groups rather than individual
cells. Large groups are
called colonies.
Spherical (cocci, sin:
coccus)
Rod-shaped (bacilli, sin:
bacillus)
Spiral (spirilla, sing:
spirillus)

Classification: Gram
Staining

Bacteria have a polymer called

peptidoglycan in cell wall.
Bacterial cell walls may react with a
chemical stain called Gram stain. If they
do react, then they are called Grampositive bacteria (more polymers =
thick wall) and will be purple.
If they dont react, then they are called
Gram-negative bacteria (less
polymers = thin wall) and will be pink.

Classification: Oxygen
Aerobic bacteria need oxygen to live
Eg. Tuberculosis bacteria

Anaerobic bacteria do not need

oxygen to live
Eg. Gangrene, botulism, tetanus bacteria

Most bacteria can live with or without

oxygen, such as E. coli.

Classification: Food
Autotrophs make own food using
sunlight (like plants)
Chemosynthetic make own food
from chemicals in their env. like
methane)
Heterotrophs get food from
consuming other organisms, either
living or dead most common type

Reproduction
Reproduce asexually by
binary fission
Parent cell begins to divide
Cell doubles its cytoplasm &
cell wall making enough for 2
cells. It replicates its DNA
(exact copy)
When cell has doubled all of
its components, a cross-wall
is formed. Parent cell begins
to pinch into two.
Two daughter cells are
formed. They are exact copies
of each other and the parent
cell.

Reproduction
Some bacteria can reproduce sexually by conjugation
Two different bacteria cells (one donor and one recipient)
make contact
A sex pilus (tube) is formed
One strand of a plasmid moves through pilus to the other cell.
Recipient cell makes complimentary strand of plasmid, as well
as donor cell.
Bacteria separate