Note much of this booklet is covered during your PRACTICAL lessons. We will still go
BACTERIA & FUNGI are important in the RECYCLING OF NUTRIENTS from dead organisms.
Bacteria can RAPIDLY reproduce ASEXUALLY by binary fission (some can reproduce
SEXUALLY)
BACTERIA, FUNGI and viruses all have the potential to cause disease in humans, crops and
Escherichia coli (E. Coli) comes from the COLON. Vibrio cholera causes CHOLERA. Bacillus
cereus (BACILLUS is Latin for ROD SHAPED)
All BACTERIA are CLASSIFIED by (i) Shape & (ii) Reaction to Gram stain:
The UNIQUE shapes of bacteria are due to the presence of their RIGID (PEPTIDOGLYCAN) CELL WALL.
- Bacillus
= rod shaped
- Cocci
= round/spherical
- Spirillum
= corkscrew shaped
or MUREIN.
cell wall.
Both have modified 5 carbon rings, with an oxygen beta
bond at the C1,4 bond site.
Note NAG NAM beyond specification
Key Differences between Cell walls of Gram-negative & Gram positive bacteria:
Gram +ve cells are MORE susceptible to the antibiotic, PENICILLIN* and the antibacterial
enzyme, LYSOZYME (found in our tears from eye).
*PENICILLIN (looked at in unit 4 - Immunology & Disease) is an antibiotic that INHIBITS the
enzyme responsible for the formation of interpeptide linking in peptidoglycan
LYSOZYME (enzyme) catalyses the hydrolysis of 1-4 b linkages between NAG & NAM in
peptidoglycan layers.
A _________________________
B _________________________
C _________________________
Q2.b) List the major structural differences between Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria?
Q3.a) Lysozyme is an enzyme that is effective against bacterial cells. Explain why?
Q3.b) Penicillin is an effective antibiotic. Which type of bacterial cells is Penicillin most effective
against and what is its mode of action as an antibiotic?
__________________________________________________________________________
The Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram published the technique in 1884.
GRAM VE and GRAM +VE bacterial cell walls have DIFFERENT staining
properties because of their DIFFERENT cell wall compositions
Note The Gram stain acts on the 3D network of PEPTIDOGLYCAN in bacterial cell walls, therefore
members of ARCHAEA & EUKARYOTES do NOT STAIN because they do NOT contain PEPTIDOGLYCAN.
Key Point 1 the Gram stain is a PROCESS of STAINING & COUNTER STAINING
Key-Point 2
GRAM-POSITIVE bacteria stain Purple because their cell walls RETAIN crystal violet.
= RETAIN
Gram ve are viewed as RED (because crystal violet was NOT RETAINED and therefore
The Gram reaction reflects the MORE COMPLEX STRUCTURE of Gram-ve cell walls.
Note, you will carry out the gram-stain in the laboratory. You are also supposed to be able to
discuss the theory behind the technique as well for possible Unit 3 questions.
Questions
Q4.a) In the Gram stain procedure; explain the role of acetone-alcohol in distinguishing Gram-negative and
Gram-positive bacterial cells?
Q4.b) why do gram negative bacteria appear red and gram positive bacteria appear violet under the
microscope?
Rm bacteria divide ASEXUALLY = EXPONENTIALLY (i.e. bacterial population DOUBLES each division)
GROWTH CONDITIONS.
Note - As well as these FOUR dont ever forget that WATER is essential!!! (and implied) **
In the LABORATORY, nutrients are supplied in NUTRIENT MEDIA (e.g. NUTRIENT AGAR (SOLID) or
NUTRIENT BROTH (LIQUID)). including:
2. Temperature
Note - enzymes remain ACTIVE either side of the OPTIMAL TEMPERATURE only the rate of reaction
slows down (until ZERO rate of reaction).
HEATING UP BELOW OPTIMUM Causes DENATURING i.e. the BREAKING OF BONDS, both intra-
protein and inter-protein-complexes - disrupting 3D quaternary, tertiary, and/or secondary
structure. this disruption ultimately alters active site / substrate binding.
NON-REVERSIBLE*
When an enzyme is (totally)
DENATURED (i.e. the total
break down of intra-protein
bonds - so Rate of Reaction is
ZERO)
Most BACTERIA and FUNGI have varying pH requirements from slightly ALKALINE conditions to
slightly ACIDIC conditions.
Bacteria tend to favour slightly alkaline conditions (approx. pH 7.4); fungi favour neutral / slightly acidic
Remember that PH OPTIMUM CURVES differ in that deviation of pH either side of the optimum causes
denaturation of the enzymes 3D protein structure (active site) and ultimately LOWER rate of reaction.
Thus BUFFER SYSTEMS in biology are VITAL to maintain enzymatic activity of essential cellular
processes (e.g. amino acids may form Zwitterions).
4. Oxygen availability
Different microorganisms have different REQUIREMENTS for the PRESENCE (or ABSENCE) OF OXYGEN.
OBLIGATE AEROBES
require (i.e. MUST have) OXYGEN
Rm that oxygen is used as the terminal electron acceptor. Such OBLIGATE AEROBES DO NOT HAVE
the pathways to undergo ANAEROBIC pathways
Note we discuss
CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM
(which produces the toxin: BOTULINUM) in the interaction with THE
SYNAPSE of NERVE CELLS.
FACULTATIVE ANAEROBES
Nb - We will look at the total bacterial growth curve later in this booklet
Note exam questions are usually based around a diagram similar to the below diagram
Loose fitting cap means oxygen is readily available to surface liquid broth
Q5.a) In addition of mineral nutrients, what are the 2x necessary nutrients required for microbial
growth and give an example of a source of that nutrient?
Q5.b) All enzymes have their optimal temperature range. Describe what happens to the structure of
an enzyme when it is exposed to a greater temperature than its optimum?
Q5.c) What conditions are suggested for preventing the possibility of culturing pathogenic bacteria?
Q6.b) Describe the type of bacteria growing in the following test tubes?
1. ________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
A defined medium
An undefined medium
GFP green fluorescent protein
from jellyfish gene
This is a MEDIUM containing components that ARE NOT ALL
KNOWN.
A selective medium
A SELECTIVE MEDIUM only ALLOWS only certain bacteria to grow (i.e. SELECTS growth)
For example:
AMPICILLIN can be added to SELECT FOR
bacteria with ampicillin resistance
or
TETRACYCLINE can be added to SELECT
or
PENICILLIN can be added to SELECT FOR
those penicillin resistant bacteria
Because MICROORGANISMS are all around us (including the air, work surfaces, our skin, our breath
etc) it is important to PREVENT CONTAMINATION of your growing BACTERIAL CULTURES.
ASEPTIC TECHNIQUES
= techniques that maintain sterility in apparatus and
prevents contamination of equipment and the
environment by unwanted microorganisms.
Contamination is a TWO-WAY consideration:
I) You do NOT want anything FROM THE ENVIRONMENT getting onto your cultures.
II) Likewise, you do not want your cultures ESCAPING TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
Before culturing bacteria, your equipment & media must be STERILE. STERILISATION can be carried
out in an AUTOCLAVE that is heated under pressure to 121C for 15 minutes.
Work surfaces are STERILISED BEFORE & AFTER experiments using a disinfectant (e.g. 3%
Agar plates always OPENED NEXT TO A BUNSEN BURNER (updrafts eliminate microbes)
Lids of PETRI DISHES are opened only JUST WIDE ENOUGH to add samples
NECKS OF BOTTLES ARE FLAMED in the Bunsen burner for 2-3 seconds
INOCULATION LOOPS ARE HEAT STERILISED in the Bunsen burner until glowing hot
Once inoculated, Petri dishes are SECURED WITH ADHESIVE TAPE two pieces only
Agar plates (i.e. made IN Petri dishes) are INCUBATED AT AROUND 25C
DO NOT OPEN PETRI DISHES AFTER INOCULATION (cells have exponentially grown e.g. fungal
Key Point
BACTERIAL GROWTH CURVES are obtained using a BATCH
Lag phase
LAG PHASE shows a slow increase in microbial numbers because only a few individuals have been
inoculated initially.
INOCULATE = INTRODUCE (cells or organisms) into a culture medium.
Cells are ADJUSTING TO THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT in the LAG PHASE where cells become
metabolically active and tend to INCREASE only in CELL SIZE
Exam tip you will NOT get any marks for saying only bacteria are acclimatising / adjusting etc to their new
environment. You must make reference to the following:
This phase involves exponential* growth (i.e. cell numbers DOUBLE EACH TIME UNIT)
1 > 2 > 4 > 8 > 16 > 32 > 64 > 128 > 256.. etc
Resources are plentiful and conditions OPTIMAL. All cells are adapted (i.e. they have undergone Lag
phase & now have all enzymes and factors for growth and division)
Thus population RAPIDLY INCREASES.
Stationary phase
Stationary phase is when the population remains constant, due to a net balance in the numbers of
cells dividing and cells dyeing:
We can also say that: The carrying capacity* has been reached.
Nutrients are EXHAUSTED and/or TOXIC EXCRETORY PRODUCTS ACCUMULATE. Population numbers
decline rapidly until no living microorganisms remain.
Note we will cover POPULATION CURVES in the next booklet (4.5 Population size and Ecosystems)
Q7. Explain why there is an initial lag in the growth of a microorganism placed into a new culture?
Q8. In terms of population what is happening in the stationary phase of a bacterial growth curve?
Q9. What conditions cause the death phase to occur in a batch culture?
For example:
- samples from RESTAURANTS (to check for
pathogenic organisms),
- WATER BOARDS (to check drinking water supplies).
e.g. Penicillin fermentation (from PENICILLIUM fungi) or Ethanol production (from YEAST)
Such processes must be ACCURATELY MONITORED for their population growth
This can lead to bacterial broth cultures containing MILLIONS of cells simply from overnight incubation
We cannot directly count such a broth population, so we need to create a SERIAL DILUTION in order
to be able to have MANAGEABLE NUMBERS of bacteria to count.
A Colony of bacteria = a cluster of cells which arises from a single bacterium by asexual reproduction.
ONE CELL / ONE COLONY THEORY
(A) (B)
(B) Note, only the END of the streak contain INDIVIDUAL separated colonies. There is too much
MERGING of colonies elsewhere for accurate counting.
Colonies must be ISOLATED and NOT grow (MERGE / OVERLAP) into each other.
If a SERIAL DILUTION is insufficient then colonies will MERGE making counting INACCURATE.
If this happens, you should choose an agar plate with a GREATER DILUTION to create ISOLATED colonies.
i.e. 1ml of 100 culture into 9ml of media = 10x FOLD dilution = 10-1 dilution.
Haemocytometry
Note you are not expected to DESCRIBE the use of a haemocytometer or colorimeter. Just know their
application to non-viable counts
Rough estimates of growth rates of bacterial or fungal colonies can be made by REGULARLY
MEASURING the DIAMETER OF GROWTH from the centre point on agar plates.
Q10. What are the advantages and disadvantages of viable counts vs. total counts?
Q11.a) Why do we carry out serial dilutions for carrying out viable counts of bacteria?
Q11.b) How could you go about measuring a total count for a sample of bacteria?
Q12.a) Which of the three agar Petri dishes would you choose for calculation and why?
Q12.b) Use figures in the above diagram to determine the number of bacteria in the milk sample?
CSFC A2 Biology WJEC Unit 3.4 Microbiology Page 29
Q13
Review Pages 62-63 in your text book AND your experimental lab work.
SCIENCE HUMOUR