Bacteriology Flashcards
what domain of life are bacteria?
prokaryotes
unique features of bacteria (differences from eukaryotes)
- rigid cell walls containing a peptidoglycan layer,
- nucleus is not bound by a nuclear membrane, is usually singular and circular
- do not have an nucleolus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, or Golgi apparatus
- multiply by binary fission
- exhibit considerable morphologic diversity but
are usually <5μm
cocci
circles
staphylococci
clumps/clusters of cocci
streptococci
chains of cocci
cell capsule
- Amorphous, gelatinous materials lying outside the cell wall (= “goop”)
- Most commonly carbohydrates, but some are polypeptides (= “sticky goop”)
- Very variable (antigenically diverse)
- Importance: anti-phagocytic, may help with adherence and prolong survival
cell wall
- ~20% of total dry weight of bacteria
- gives bacteria their shape and rigid structure!
- differs in structure & chemical composition between different bacteria; which influences their pathogenicity and staining characteristics:
- –Gram Positive
- –Gram Negative
- –Acid Fast
- –“Others”
gram stain process
- fixation (heat)
- crystal violet
- iodine treatment (binds to crytal violet to form complex)
- decolorization (alcohol)
- counter stain safranin
is antimicrobial therapy most effective as narrow or broad spectrum?
narrow
gram positive bacteria
- simpler structure cf gram negative
- thicker more uniform cell wall
- predominantly composed of peptidoglycan & teichoic acid
- the peptidoglycan dessicates on decolourization (gram stain) making it less permeable to dye complex
- thicker wall also more resistant to mechanical damage
- peptidoglycan is a target for some antibiotics and also lysozyme
gram negative bacteria
- more complex cf gram positive
Outer membrane (OM) which has:
* Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) MAJOR virulence factor - Porins
- periplasmic space containing smaller amount ofpeptidoglycan
- due to its structure, the OM excludes hydrophilic molecules and renders gram negative bacteria resistant to some detergents
acid fast bacteria
- cell envelope contains additional molecules:
- Mycolic Acid
- Glycolipids and Fatty Acids
- Polypeptides
makes them very hard to stain (so special stain – Acid
Fast)
also allows them to:
* Survive in the environment
* Survive inside cells!!!!
* target for other antibiotics
flagella
confer motility
fimbriae (pili)
important for adherence
spores
important for long term survival and physical resistance
biofilms
- bacteria exist as planktonic (free) or sessile (attached)
- biofims are sessile and created by some bacteria when
a bacterial population becomes adherent to each other and/or a surface, and it then enclosed within a biopolymer matrix - Inside the biofilm the bacteria can act as an “organism”
through “quorum sensing” - Biofilms help in the pathogenesis of bacterial infections by:
- –aid colonization
- –avoid phagocytosis
- –avoid antibiotics
how do bacteria divide?
binary fission
how do bacteria divide?
binary fission
what influences bacterial growth/replication?
- Genetics (type of bacteria)
- Nutritional factors (nutrient media)
- Chemical, physical and environmental factors
bacterial growth on an agar plate
on an agar plate a single colony is a clonal expansion of a single bacterium
Small colonies = slow growing
Big colonies = fast growing
the number of colonies is directly related to the number of bacteria you put on there!!!
optimal pH is neutral to alkaline
optimal tonicity is isotonic to hypotonic
temperature effect on bacterial growth
- Optimal temperature for growth = 98.6°F (body temp)
- But most can grow 68-113°F
- Some pathogenic bacteria grow outside this range
strict/obligate aerobes
require O2 for growth
strict/obligate anaerobes
killed by O2