3B: MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Group #4 Crystal Jade Mendoza Justine Gonzales Millare Steffi Muriel Oslyn Opilas Em Osias Ojochenemi Peters Tanja Philipp Jamie Pooten

- List variations in morphological characteristics of bacteria in terms of size, margin/edge, surface texture, elevation, consistency, optical features and pigmentation/color. Give examples and pictures/diagrams. -Describe the different bacterial isolates in terms of their morphological characteristics.

The discussion of bacterial morphology has been dominated by questions about how a cell manages to create a rod shape, which, of course, is but one example of the more general question of how a cell constructs any shape. The expectation is that by answering this ,deceptively, simple question we may acquire knowledge that will point us to a universal mechanism of shape control. This emphasis is understandable because we are both more familiar with and more comfortable with answering how type questions. Shape has a vector through evolutionary time rod-like organisms having arisen first and coccoid forms being derivatives at the ends of evolutionary lines. Progressive development of a trait implies that selective forces are operating. Secondly, prokaryotes with different genealogies may converge morphologically, indicating that a similar shape may confer advantages in certain environments. So, for example, although they have a non-peptidoglycan-based cell wall, the Archaea exhibit a range of morphological forms similar to that of the Bacteria. The simplest conclusion is that morphological adaptation serves an important biological function.

How, then, might morphology contribute to natural selection? Simply put, bacteria with different shapes present different physical features to the outside world, and these features help cells cope with and adapt to external conditions. Even a 0.01% increase in the growth rate of E. coli can impart a fitness advantage of 10% compared to its unaltered competitors, so improvements need not be dramatic to be useful. Consistent with these expectations, shape contributes a measure of survival value in the face of three Primary selective pressures: 1) nutrient acquisition, 2) cell division, and 3) predators; and in optimizing five Secondary mechanisms: 4) attachment to surfaces, 5) passive dispersal, 6) active motility, and 7) internal or 8) external differentiation. The first three are Primary in that they represent fundamental conditions that determine whether cells live or die, because cells must grow and multiply and keep from being killed. The last five are Secondary in that they represent a suite of morphologically associated mechanisms that bacteria use to deal with the Primary forces. The experiment was carried out for two days --- April 23-24, 2014 to compare the morphology of 7 different agars with respect to their size, form, edge, elevation, surface, consistency, and color. These morphological characteristics are often defined as the smallest linguistic pieces with a grammatical function.

AGAR

SIZE

FORM

EDGE

ELEVATION SURFACE

CONSISTENCY COLOR

1. Nutrient w/salt FW-A10 Large FW-A11 Pinpoint FW-A18 Large FW-A19 Large HB-4 Large HB-5 Pinpoint IV-3 Large IV-4 Large 2. Nutrient w/o salt FW-A10 Large FW-A11 Large FW-A18 Medium FW-A19 Medium HB-4 Large HB-5 Large IV-3 Medium IV-4 Medium 3. Chocolate FW-A10 FW-A11 FW-A18 FW-A19 HB-4 HB-5 IV-3 IV-4

Irregular Irregular Irregular Irregular Irregular Irregular Irregular Irregular

Undulate Undulate Curled Lobate Undulate Undulate Curled Lobate

Flat Flat Flat Flat Flat Flat Flat Flat

Powdery Powdery Powdery Glistening Powdery Powdery Powdery Glistening

Butterlike Butterlike Butterlike Butterlike Butterlike Butterlike Butterlike Butterlike

Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow

Irregular Rhizoid Curled Curled Irregular Rhizoid Curled Curled

Entire Undulate Entire Entire Entire Undulate Entire Entire

Raised Raised Raised Raised Raised Raised Raised Raised

Powdery Powdery Glistening Glistening Powdery Powdery Glistening Glistening

Rubbery Rubbery Powder Powder Rubbery Rubbery Powder Powder

Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow

Pinpoint Pinpoint Medium Large Medium Medium Large Large

Rhizoid Undulate Flat Filamentous Undulate Raised Curled Curled Irregular Irregular Curled Curled Entire Curled Entire Entire Curled Curled Convex Convex Raised Raised Convex Convex

Glistening Viscous Dry Viscous Glistening Viscous Glistening Viscous Glistening Viscous Glistening Viscous Powdery Powdery Viscous Viscous

Blue/green Blue/green Blue/green Blue/green Blue/green Blue/green Blue/green Blue/green

4. Blood FW-A10 FW-A11 FW-A18 FW-A19 HB-4 HB-5 IV-3 IV-4 5. MSA FW-A10 FW-A11 FW-A18 FW-A19 HB-4 HB-5 IV-3 IV-4 6. MAC FW-A10 FW-A11 FW-A18 FW-A19 HB-4 HB-5 IV-3 IV-4 7. EMB FW-A10 FW-A11 FW-A18 FW-A19 HB-4 HB-5 IV-3 IV-4

Pinpoint Medium Medium Large Medium Medium Large Large

Filamentous Irregular Irregular Curled Irregular Irregular Curled Curled

Undulate Entire Undulate Curled Entire Entire Entire Entire

Flat Raised Convex Convex Raised Raised Unbonate Unbonate

Dry Rough Wrinkled Glistening Glistening Glistening Glistening Glistening

Dry Brittle Powder Viscous Dry Brittle Powder Viscous

Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow

Large Medium Medium Pinpoint Pinpoint Pinpoint Pinpoint Pinpoint

Curled Curled Filamentous Rhizoid Curled Curled Curled Curled

Curled Undulate Lobate Undulate Entire Entire Entire Entire

Convex Raised Flat Flat Flat Flat Flat Flat

Glistening Glistening Wrinkled Rough Dry Dry Dry Dry

Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry Dry

Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow

Medium Pinpoint Medium Medium Medium Pinpoint Medium Medium

Curled Curled Curled Curled Curled Curled Curled Curled

Entire Entire Entire Entire Entire Entire Entire Entire

Convex Unbonate Flat Flat Convex Unbonate Flat Flat

Glistening Wrinkled Dry Dry Glistening Wrinkled Dry Dry

Rubbery Butterlike Dry Dry Rubbery Butterlike Dry Dry

Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow Yellow

Pinpoint Pinpoint Pinpoint Pinpoint Medium Pinpoint Medium Medium

Filamentous Curled Curled Curled Curled Irregular Curled Curled

Undulate Entire Entire Entire Entire Undulate Entire Entire

Unbonate Flat Flat Flat Raised Raised Flat Flat

Rough Dry Dry Dry Dry Wrinkled Dry Dry

Dry Rubbery Butterlike Dry Dry Butterlike Dry Dry

Yellow Yellow Yellow Red Yellow Yellow Red Yellow

In conclusion, Bacteria are single celled organisms that usually take one of three forms the cocci, bacillus or spirillum. Other than that, their complexity not that much. Fungi are multicelled organisms exhibiting a

whide range of distinguishing traits. Ergo each distinct colony represents an individual bacterial cell or group that has divided repeatedly. Being kept in one place, the resulting cells have accumulated to form a visible patch.

Most bacterial colonies appear white or a creamy yellow in colour, and are fairly circular in shape.

EMB

NUTRIENT AGAR WITH SALT

MSA

MAC

BLOOD AGAR

CHOCOLATE AGAR

NUTRIENT AGAR