Lecture 16 Bacteria Structure and Reproduction

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms lacking a nucleus

Domains

Prokaryotes are classified into Bacteria and Archaea

Morphological Diversity

Varied shapes like cocci, bacilli, spirilla, and spirochetes

Cell Wall

Maintains shape, protects, and prevents bursting

Peptidoglycan

Network of sugar polymers in bacterial cell walls

Gram Stain

Classifies bacteria by cell wall composition

Motility

Ability to move toward or away from stimuli

Flagella

Propel bacteria and composed of different proteins

Internal Organization

Lack complex compartmentalization

Genome

Circular chromosome in nucleoid region

Plasmids

Smaller rings of DNA in some bacterial species

Binary Fission

Prokaryotic reproduction method, dividing every 1-3 hours

Mutation

Low rates but accumulate rapidly due to rapid reproduction

Genetic Recombination

Processes like transformation, transduction, and conjugation