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Summary Chapter 3 - Bacterial cell structure. Prescott's Microbiology CA$8.34   Add to cart

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Summary Chapter 3 - Bacterial cell structure. Prescott's Microbiology

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Here is a summary of chapter 3 bacterial cell structure. The source is Prescott's Microbiology. Created according to the Health & Life 2023 Microbiology learning line. 3.1-3.6 and 3.7, 3.8 and 3.10

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  • April 14, 2023
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Chapter 3: bacterial cell structure
How a tiny microbe can cause much damage in human body tissues: is due to their diversity
of transporters.

Transporters are specific for 1 type of molecule; ions, amino acids, vitamins or sugars.

Cell shape
The 2 most common shapes of bacterial cells:
1. Cocci (s. coccus):
- Roughly spherical cells
- Exist singly or in characteristic arrangements
- Diplococci: when cocci divide and remain together to form
pairs.
2. Rods (s. bacillus):
- Differ in their length-to-width ratio
- Shape often varies between species:
o Flat
o Rounded
o Football-shaped
o Bifurcated

Less common cell shapes and arrangements:
- Bivrios: comma shaped
- Spirilla: rigid spiral-shaped cells
- Spirochetes: flexible, spiral shaped bacteria

Many actinobacteria form long filaments called; hyphae = unit of structure of most fungi and
some bacteria; a tubular filament. (In a network called a mycelium).

E. coli
- Rod-shaped bacterium
- Size range is far beyond average

What causes a bacterial species to have a particular size and
shape?
- Microbes are small to increase the surface area-to-volume
ratio (S/V ratio).
 As the ratio increases, the uptake of nutrients and the
diffusion of these and other molecules within the cell
become more efficient; facilitates rapid growth
- However: bacteria can be large; they have other
characteristics that maximize their S/V ratio.

Cell organization
Common features:
- Cells are surrounded by several layers; collectively = cell envelope
- Plasma membrane
- Cell wand
- Capsule/sim layer
- Chemical complex wall; covers the plasma membrane
- Genetic material is localizes in the nucleoid
- Not separated from the surrounding cytoplasm by a membrane.
- Inclusions are scattered about the cytoplasm
- = ribosomes and larger masses
- Filamentous structures (pili) may protrude from the surface
- Facilitating gene transfer/attachment to surfaces.
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, Plasma membrane
Cell envelope = the plasma membrane and all the surrounding layers external to it.
Plasma membrane = most important, because:
- It encompasses the cytoplasm and defines the cell
- When removed/damages; cell’s contents spill into the environment; cell dies.
- Responsible for much of the cell’s relationships with the outside world
- They are selectively permeable barriers
- They allow particular molecules to pass either into/out of the cell
- In bacteria they play additional roles: They are the location of
several crucial metabolic processes
- Respiration
- Photosynthesis
- Synthesis of lipids and cell wall constituents

Plasma membrane structure = dynamic
Composed of 2 sheets of lipid molecules arranged end-to-end
Chemical nature = amphipathic
- Structurally asymmetric; with polar and nonpolar ends
- Polar ends are hydrophilic
- Nonpolar are hydrophobic

2 types of membrane proteins are able to separated from the
membrane:
1. Peripheral membrane proteins
- Are loosely connected to the membrane; easily removed
2. Integral membrane proteins
- Their hydrophobic regions are buried in membrane lipids, whereas the hydrophilic
portions project form the membrane surface.
- Not easily extracted from membranes, they are
amphipathic

Integral membrane proteins functions
- Transport proteins
- Involved in energy-conserving processes (e.g. electron
transport chains)

Hopanoids = similar in structure to cholesterol found in
eukaryotic membranes, their rigid planar structure makes them
more hydrophobic than phospholipids.
- They insert easily into membranes (are hydrophobic),
but they distort the regular bilayer structure (they’re not
amphipathic)
- Determines where certain integral membrane proteins
can reside
 these form functional membrane microdomains, that serve as
platforms for large proteins complexes.

Growth factors must be obtained from the environment (microbes are unable to synthesize
certain molecules).

Passive diffusion
- Molecules move from a region of higher concentration to
one of lower concentration.
- Rate of diffusion depends on the size of the
concentration gradient.

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