Bacteria Characteristics

The Bacteria are microscopic organisms that present a size between 0.5 and 3 microns (micrometers μm) long, and very varied in shape. They have only one cell, so they are classified as Unicellular.

Bacteria Characteristics

Bacteria, having no nucleus, are Prokaryotic microorganisms. They also do not have organelles in the cytoplasm. Its membrane is a wall made up of the compound Peptidoglycan.

Many bacteria are mobile thanks to the fact that they have cilia or flagella in their membrane. The Cilia They are villi that cover the entire membrane and they serve as motor agents for the bacteria to move through the environment in which it is found. The Flagella They are elongated filaments that protrude from a part of the cell membrane. They can be present in quantity of one, two or even three in the bacterium; they give mobility at greater speed and even a direction of movement.

Generally its reproduction is by Binary fission.

Bacteria can be of many forms, and according to them they will have specific functions.

Bacteria Morphology

Bacteria can be in the form of Cocci, Bacilli, Vibrios, Spirils.

The Coconuts They are Spherical bacteria capable of agglomerating to form new, more stable structures. These larger structures are the Diplococci, made up of two coconuts; the Streptococci, which are line formations of coconuts, and the Staphylococci, which are random agglomerations of coconuts, which form clusters.

The Bacilli They are bacteria with elongated shapes, and that usually line up to form more extensive structures. Some are named according to their chemical origin and discoverer, such as Lactobacillus Casei Shirota, which comes from lactic fermentation, and was discovered by a Japanese scientist surnamed Shirota.

The Vibrios They are bacteria with a slight "open L" shape, which are responsible for many serious diseases.

The Spirils They are bacteria shaped like twisted lines with cilia at both ends.

Classification of Bacteria

Bacteria will be classified according to three main criteria, which will give name to the Classification itself: Phenotypic Classification, Genotypic Classification and Analytical Classification.

Phenotypic Classification: It is based on real and expressed properties, such as microscopic morphology (shape before the microscope), macroscopic morphology (shape before the eyes), biotype, serotype and antibiogram.

Genotypic Classification: It is based on the Potential Properties, which are DNA Hybridization, nucleotide sequence analysis, plasmid analysis, DNA fragment analysis of chromosomes.

Analytical Classification: It is based on the analysis of the cell wall, the lipids of the cell wall, the supporting proteins and the cellular enzymes.

They can also be classified according to the temperature at which they survive, into Psychrophiles, Mesophiles and Thermophiles.

The Psychrophilic Bacteria They are those that live and perform their functions optimally in temperatures below 15 ° C.

The Mesophilic Bacteria They are the ones that have a better development speed in temperatures with values ​​between 25 ° C and 40 ° C. These are the ones that grow in the human body to achieve an infection, since the temperature is between 35 and 37 degrees.

The Thermophilic bacteria They are those that have a higher growth rate at temperatures above 40 ° C.

They also have a classification that goes according to their Breathing method: they can be Aerobic, Anaerobic and Facultative.

The Aerobic Bacteria They have optimal development in environments where air is abundant, since they take oxygen from it to survive and carry out their feeding processes.

The Anaerobic Bacteria are those that carry out their vital processes in environments where there is no oxygen, such as swamps, where substances such as Methane (CH₄) and Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S).

The Facultative Bacteria They can be adapted to both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and are used in conjunction with anaerobes in activated sludge wastewater treatment.

Apart from these Classifications, there is another one based on the way the bacteria feed, remaining as Autotrophs and Heterotrophs.

The Autotrophic Bacteria They are capable of generating their own nutrition, using environmental agents, just as plant species use the photosynthesis process to feed themselves.

The Heterotrophic bacteria They have the function of degrading matter in order to take from it the nutrients it needs to continue living. Within the heterotrophic bacteria are the Saprophytic Bacteria, which are specifically responsible for breaking down decomposing organic matter even more.

Examples of Characteristics of Bacteria

They are between 0.5 and 3 microns long

They have only one cell, so they are classified as Unicellular.

As they do not have a nucleus, they are Prokaryotic microorganisms

They have no organelles in the cytoplasm

Its membrane is a wall made up of the compound Peptidoglycan

Many bacteria are mobile thanks to the fact that in their membrane they have cilia or flagella

Generally its reproduction is through Binary Fission

Cocci are spherical bacteria capable of agglomeration

Bacilli are bacteria with elongated shapes, and that usually line up to form

Vibrios are bacteria with a slight "open L" shape.

Spirils are twisted line-shaped bacteria with cilia at both ends.

Bacteria can be classified according to the temperature at which they survive, into Psychrophilic, Mesophilic and Thermophilic

Bacteria have a classification that goes according to their method of Respiration: they can be Aerobic, Anaerobic and Facultative.

Bacteria have a classification based on the way they feed, remaining as Autotrophs and Heterotrophs.