MICROBIOLOGY 130

SURVEY OF MICROORGANISMS

(Read chapter 10 Tortora et. al., 7th ed. especially look at pages 276-285)


5 KINGDOM CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM:
3 DOMAIN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM


Naming and Classifying Bacteria

Genus - a group of closely related species

Species - a population of cells with very similar characteristics. Members of a species are practically indistinguishable from each other - but there are often some minor differences.

Strain - a population of cells derived from a single cell.

Sometimes bacterial names change frequently as new data comes to light. For instance in the last decade:

Pseudomonas solanacearum --> Burkholdaria solanacearum --> Ralstonia solanacearum

How do we classify bacteria into genera and species?

 
PRACTICAL OVERVIEW OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANISMS:
1. Prion -- infectious protein
2. Virus
3. Bacteria
4. Single Cell Eucaryotes
5. Multicellular Eucaryotes



THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROCARYOTES AND EUCARYOTES (also see chart on pg. 99 of Tortora et. al. 7th ed.)

Procaryotes - eubacteria and archaeobacteria

Eucaryotes - all other cells

Genetic info is free in cytoplasm

Genetic info is enclosed in a membrane (nucleus). DNA is associated with proteins called histones.

Cell wall is usually present and it is chemically complex. In eubacteria it contains peptidoglycan (and teichoic acid in gram positive bacteria).

Cell wall is not found in animal cells. In plants it is composed of cellulose. In fungi it is composed of chitin. These are polymers of glucose.

No large internal organelles. But may find smaller inclusions and bubbles.

Many internal organelles within a highly organized cytoplasm.

Ribosomes are small - 70s

Ribosomes are large - 80s; in the mitochondria and chloroplasts the mitochondria are small - 70s.

Locomotion with flagella made with flagellin; also axial filaments

Locomotion with flagella and cilia composed of microtubules (tubulin and dynein); also contractile motion based on actin and myosin.