| Cocci are spherical bacteria. |
| Bacilli are rod shaped bacteria. |
| Vibrio bacteria are shaped like a comma or kidney bean. |
| Spirochaetes are spiral shaped bacetria. |
| Clusters of cocci bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus. |
| Chains of cocci bacteria - streptococcus sp. |
| Chains of bacilli bacteria. |
| bacilli with flagella (hair like structures) |
| This bacillus bacteria has the ability to form spores e.g. Bacillus Cereus & Clostridium sp. |
| The cytoplasm, or protoplasm, of bacterial cells is where the functions for cell growth, metabolism, and replication are carried out. It is a gel-like matrix composed of water, enzymes, nutrients, wastes, and gases and contains cell structures such as ribosomes, a chromosome, and plasmids. |
| The nucleoid is a region of cytoplasm where the chromosomal DNA is located. It is not a membrane bound nucleus, but simply an area of the cytoplasm where the strands of DNA are found. Most bacteria have a single, circular chromosome that is responsible for replication, although a few species do have two or more. |
| keep the bacterium from drying out and protect it from phagocytosis (engulfing) by larger microorganisms. |
| The wall gives the cell its shape and surrounds the cytoplasmic membrane, protecting it from the environment. It also helps to anchor appendages like the pili and flagella. |
| A layer of phospholipids and proteins, called the cytoplasmic membrane, encloses the interior of the bacterium, regulating the flow of materials in and out of the cell. |
| Many species of bacteria have pili (singular, pilus), small hairlike projections emerging from the outside cell surface. These outgrowths assist the bacteria in attaching to other cells and surfaces, such as teeth, intestines, and rocks. Without pili, many disease-causing bacteria lose their ability to infect because they're unable to attach to host tissue. |
| Flagella (singular, flagellum) are hairlike structures that provide a means of locomotion for those bacteria that have them. They can be found at either or both ends of a bacterium or all over its surface. The flagella beat in a propeller-like motion to help the bacterium move toward nutrients; away from toxic chemicals; or, in the case of the photosynthetic cyanobacteria; toward the light. |
| Ribosomes are microscopic "factories" found in all cells, including bacteria. They translate the genetic code from the molecular language of nucleic acid to that of amino acids -- the building blocks of proteins. |
