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how do we classify bacteria

by Viviane Yost Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Classification of Bacteria

  • Morphologic Characteristics. Both wet-mounted and properly stained bacterial cell suspensions can yield a great deal of...
  • Growth Characteristics. A primary distinguishing characteristic is whether an organism grows aerobically, anaerobically,...
  • Antigens and Phage Susceptibility. Cell wall (O), flagellar (H), and capsular (K) antigens are used...

Bacteria are classified into five groups according to their basic shapes: spherical (cocci), rod (bacilli), spiral (spirilla), comma (vibrios) or corkscrew (spirochaetes). They can exist as single cells, in pairs, chains or clusters. Bacteria are found in every habitat on Earth: soil, rock, oceans and even arctic snow.

Full Answer

What are the three classification of bacteria?

The classification of bacteria is mainly based on the following:

  • Shape
  • Composition of the cell wall
  • Mode of respiration
  • Mode of nutrition

How do you classify bacteria?

What characteristics are used to classify bacteria?

  • Single-Celled. Perhaps the most straightforward characteristic of bacteria is their existence as single-celled organisms.
  • Absent Organelles.
  • Plasma Membrane.
  • Cell Walls.
  • DNA.

What are two ways that bacteria are classified?

Bacteria are classified according to their color in a Gram test, their shape, or whether or not they need oxygen. Learn about the classification of bacteria, bacterial shapes, and aerobic versus ...

How are bacteria usually classified?

Here are some basic bacterial identification methods for bacteria and other microorganisms:

  • Bacteria usually has a strong smell that makes it stand out. For instance, filamentous fungi are generally odorless or have an earthy smell. ...
  • Bacteria normally form within distinct colonies that are either slimy or extremely dry in texture. ...
  • In regards to yeast, they are often the most difficult to identify solely on microscopic features. ...

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What are three ways to classify bacteria?

Bacteria are classified based on three major groupings: their stain on a Gram test, their shape, and their dependence on oxygen.

What are the 2 ways bacteria is classified?

There are broadly speaking two different types of cell wall in bacteria, that classify bacteria into Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria. The names originate from the reaction of cells to the Gram stain, a long-standing test for the classification of bacterial species.

What are the 4 classification of bacteria?

Bacteria can be classified based on their shape into bacillus, coccus, vibrio and spirillum.

Why do we classify bacteria?

Bacteria are classified and identified to distinguish one organism from another and to group similar organisms by criteria of interest to microbiologists or other scientists.

What are the 7 levels of classification for bacteria?

In bacterial taxonomy, the most commonly used ranks or levels in their ascending order are: species, genera, families, orders, classes, phyla, and domain (Table 3.1). Species is the basic taxonomic group in bacterial taxonomy.

Which techniques are used to help identify and classify bacteria?

DNA-based approaches used in the identification and classification of species of bacteria include DNA-DNA hybridization, DNA fingerprinting, and DNA sequencing. DNA-DNA hybridization, initially developed in the 1980s, is used to determine the similarity of DNA sequences from different organisms.

What are the 5 characteristics of bacteria?

Five characteristics of bacteria include being unicellular, prokaryotic, microscopic, lacking a nucleus, and having a plasma membrane. These traits are shared by all bacteria.

How do you classify bacteria on the basis of Gram staining?

Gram stain or Gram staining, also called Gram's method, is a method of staining used to classify bacterial species into two large groups: gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria. The name comes from the Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram, who developed the technique in 1884.

What do you mean by classification?

Definition of classification 1 : the act or process of classifying. 2a : systematic arrangement in groups or categories according to established criteria specifically : taxonomy. b : class, category.

What are the two examples of bacteria?

Examples of gram-positive bacteria include the genera Listeria, Streptococcus, and Bacillus, while gram-negative bacteria include Proteobacteria, green sulfur bacteria, and cyanobacteria.

How do you classify bacteria on the basis of Gram staining?

Gram stain or Gram staining, also called Gram's method, is a method of staining used to classify bacterial species into two large groups: gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria. The name comes from the Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram, who developed the technique in 1884.

Classification of Bacteria|By Cell Wall

Cell wall is a characteristic plant cell. Bacterial cell wall feature has features useful for classification. check out:→ Differences between Bacte...

Classification of Bacteria by Shape Or Cell Structure

Bacterial species are differentiated based on their shapes. They have different cell structure but most of them come under two basic shapes like. C...

Classification of Bacteria Based on Flagella Presence

Flagella are appendages of movement for the bacterial. They emerge from the cell membrane. Not all bacteria have flagella but motile bacteria have...

Classification of Bacteria Based on Nutrition Requirements

Bacteria obtain nutrition in different forms like. Because of this character, they contribute greatly to humans and environment.check out:→ Use of...

Classification Based on Temperature Dependence

This is quite interesting method as they are differentiated based on their preference for surrounding temperature.Bacteria can at cold temperature...

What is the classification of bacteria?

The bacterial classification is one of the key factors to tackle them in disease. The classification is done based on factors like their shape, nutrition requirement, cell wall staining, the cell appendages, etc. Of these bacteria, those harmful and useful to humans are widely studied in medicine and pharmacy while those pathogenic bacteria which ...

Which is a single-celled round-shaped bacteria?

i) Monococcus which is a single-celled round-shaped bacteria.

What is Gram staining?

Gram stain is used to classify these bacteria based on the variation in the layers. This bacterial cell wall is made of materials like the carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in varying proportions. The gram staining helps in the differentiation of bacteria as gram-positive and gram-negative.

How do bacteria synthesize their own food?

These are bacteria synthesize their own food by use of energy obtained from chemical sources. They differ from autotrophs in that they do not need sunlight. ♦ Heterotrophs: These are bacteria which do not synthesize their own food but obtain it from others. They can feed on food materials as animals do.

What color are gram positive bacteria?

When a bacteria culture is added with Gram’s stain, gram-positive bacteriashow violet color, while gram-negative bacteriashow saffron color. So, the bacterial species which take up the blue color during gram staining are called gram +ve and those which take up an orange are called gram -ve bacteria.

Which bacteria have a thicker peptidoglycan layer than the other?

In gram +ve bacteria there is a thicker peptidoglycan layer while gram -ve has less peptidoglycan and more of glycolipid membrane.

What is the importance of microbes?

They have vital importance on earth and hence studied extensively in microbiology. You can study them in detail in microbiology courses in medicine, pharmacy, and even basic biology. These bacteria are unicellular (single-celled) organisms and are of microscopic and invisible to the naked eye.

What is the largest type of bacteria?

Bacillus: (Latin bacillus means ‘stick) The term bacillus has been applied in a general sense to all cylindrical or rod-like bacteria. The largest species are about 2 μm across by 7 μm long and frequently occur in chains. They usually live in solitary but may form groups usually with end to end attachment. e.g. Escherichia coli, Bacillus spp. etc.

What is the difference between Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria?

Gram-positive bacteria: Gram-positive bacteria are distinguished from Gram-negative organisms by the thick peptidoglycan layer in their cell walls. Dye that enters the cells during Gram staining is retained after treatment with a solvent, which is unable to penetrate through the cell wall to remove the stain. As a result, Gram-positive bacteria are purple in colour when viewed under the microscope following staining. Examples of important groups of Gram-positive organisms include Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus.

What is the color of Gram negative bacteria?

As a result, since their cell walls are readily penetrated by solvent that removes purple dye utilized during Gram staining, they appear light pink in colour. There are a number of different kinds of Gram-negative bacteria, many of which are pathogenic in humans, including E. coli, Salmonella, and Yersinia.

What are the two primary morphological groups?

The nature of the bacterial cell wall serves as the major determinant for identifying the two primary morphological groups: Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria. These groups differ based on the thickness of the peptidoglycan layer in the cell wall and are easily distinguished under a microscope.

What is flagella made of?

Flagella (sin. flagellum) is a whip-like structure generally protruding from the cellular boundary of some cells. They are deep down made of flagellin named protein and are used for locomotive purposes. Besides, some flagella do the function of sensing, thus helping the cellular organism or the cell to perceive the environment.

What is a coccus?

Coccus (pl. cocci): Sphere or oval shaped. On the basis of arrangement of individual organisms, they can be classified as following:

Which type of bacteria has flagella projecting from all directions?

Peritrichous: Have flagella projecting from all directions. e.g. E. coli.

How are bacteria classified?

Bacteria are classified according to their color in a Gram test, their shape, or whether or not they need oxygen. Learn about the classification of bacteria, bacterial shapes, and aerobic versus anaerobic bacteria. Updated: 11/22/2021

What are the three shapes of bacteria?

Bacteria generally come in three shapes. Coccus is a bacterium, which is round or oval shaped and flattened on a side. Cocci can come in pairs, chains or clusters. An example is the Gram-positive Staphylococci aureus, which is the bacteria responsible for Staph infections of the skin.

What is the classification of organisms based on their similarities and differences?

Classification is the grouping of organisms based on their similarities and differences. Bacteria are classified based on three major groupings: their stain on a Gram test, their shape, and their dependence on oxygen.

What is a Gram positive?

Bacteria that stain bluish/purple during the Gram test are classified as Gram-positive. Bacteria that stain red during the Gram test are classified as Gram-negative. A very small number of bacteria were also found not to stain well during the Gram test and are classified as miscellaneous. {"error":true,"iframe":true}.

What color are bacteria in a gram positive test?

This information is still used today as one of the primary ways that bacteria are classified. Bacteria that stain bluish/purple during the Gram test are classified as Gram-positive.

Which bacteria are spiral shaped?

The bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, syphilis, and cholera, are all spiral shaped. Aerobic vs. Anaerobic. The last major classification group for bacteria is aerobic bacteria vs. anaerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria need oxygen to survive. An easy way to remember this is to think of aerobic exercise.

What is classification in biology?

Classification is the process of breaking a large group of organisms into smaller groups, based on similarities and differences. In the example above, the students were classified based on their preference for the purple smock vs. the red.

What are the different types of bacteria?

In the year 1872 scientist Cohn classified bacteria to 4 major types depending on their shapes are as follow: – 1) Cocci: These types of bacteria are unicellular, spherical or elliptical shape. Either they may remain as a single cell or may aggregate together for various configurations. They are as follow:#N#i) Monococcus: - they are also called micrococcus and represented by single, discrete round cell. Example: Micrococcus flavus. ii) Diplococcus: - the cell of the Diplococcus divides ones in a particular plane and after division, the cells remain attached to each other. Example: – Diplococcus pneumonia.

What are the categories of bacteria on the basis of nutrition?

Classification of bacteria on the basis of nutrition: –. On the basis of nutrition bacteria are classified as following: 1) Autotropic bacteria: - these bacteria are nonpathogenic, free living, self sustaining in nature, which prepare their own food by utilisation of solar energy and inorganic components like carbon dioxide, nitrogen etc.

What are some examples of diplococcus?

Example: – Diplococcus pneumonia. Different Shapes of Bacteria.

Which bacteria have no flagella?

On the basis of flagella the bacteria can be classified: - i) Atrichos: - These bacteria has no flagella. Example: -Corynebacterium diptherae. ii) Monotrichous: - One flagellum is attached to one end of the bacteria cell. Example: - Vibro cholera.

Which bacteria can survive at higher temperature?

Example: -Lactobacillus. iii) Thermophilic bacteria: - These types of bacteria can survive at higher temperature and can withstand the pasteurization temperature.

Which type of bacteria cannot fix inorganic carbone but rather depend on external organic carbone for their nourishment?

2) Heterotrophic bacteria: – this type of bacteria cannot fix inorganic Carbone but rather depend on external organic Carbone for their nourishment. They also can be classified on the basis of presence and absence of flight and on the basis of the media on which the bacteria are growing.

Which bacteria prepare food by deriving the energy from oxidation of inorganic substances like nitrogen dioxide, carbon?

ii) Chemoautotrophs: -these are the bacteria which prepare they are food by deriving the energy from oxidation of inorganic substances like nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide etc. and they can also fix carbon dioxide and water for their nutrition.

How to find bacteria?

You will probably need to consult a clinical microbiology textbook or an online database and search for bacteria with all the characteristics of your sample.

How to determine if a bacteria is aerobic or anaerobic?

1 culture should be anaerobic (grown without oxygen) and the other should be aerobic (grown with oxygen). Store your anaerobic culture in an oxygen-free environment at 35° C (95° F) for at least 48 hours before you attempt to observe bacterial growth.

How to remove Gram negative bacteria?

Rinse the sample with alcohol or acetone. Alcohol and acetone are decolorizing agents. If your bacteria are a Gram negative strain, these agents will remove the stain from the bacterial cell walls. Allow a few drops of the decolorizing agent to trickle over the sample, and let it sit for no more than 3 seconds.

What color are Gram positive bacteria?

View your sample under the microscope at 1000X magnification. If the bacteria are a Gram positive strain, they will appear purple or violet under the microscope. Gram negative bacteria will appear red from the safranin counterstain.

How to tell if a bacteria is motile?

Do a motility test to find out if your bacteria are motile. Motile bacteria can move on their own by using 1 or more flagella to propel themselves around. Motility, or lack of motility, can be an important factor in identifying a strain of bacteria. There are several types of motility tests, but the semisolid medium test is the safest and easiest to read.

What is the best way to detect acid fast bacteria?

Use Ziehl-Neelsen staining to detect acid-fast bacteria. Acid-fast bacteria contain a higher amount of lipid than other types of bacteria, making them resistant to the coloring agents used in Gram staining. Acid-fast bacteria belong to the genus Mycobacterium, which includes the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). Acid-fast bacteria can be stained with a red carbol-fuchsin dye, which will resist being rinsed out with an acid alcohol or sulfuric acid solution.

What is the difference between Gram positive and Gram negative?

Gram staining is a procedure that allows you to divide bacteria into 2 common types: Gram positive, and Gram negative. Gram positive bacteria have an extra thick cellular wall (made of a polymer called peptidoglycan) that holds a dye stain better than the thinner cell walls of Gram negative bacteria.

How are bacteria grouped?

Even then, bacteria were primarily grouped according to their morphological features and growth conditions such as cell shape (cocci: round, bacilli: rod-shaped, spirillum: spiral-shaped, etc.), presence or absence of flagella, arrangement of flagella, substrate (food) utilization, oxygen dependence (aerobic or anaerobic) and the growth pattern on solid media.

How to identify bacteria?

Clinically, previously identified bacteria can be easily identified by using “specific” antibody reactions in a serological test performed on a glass slide. In advanced Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) method, binding of short fluorescence-labeled DNA or nucleic acid-mimicking PNA (peptide nucleic acid) probes to the ribosomes of infectious agents allows the identification of organism at genus or species level. Apart from these, the Antibiotic sensitivity test is another clinical method that identifies an organism based on its ability to grow on artificial nutrient media containing distinct antibiotics.

What is the biolog system?

In 1989, the Biolog system was created to identify Gram-negative bacteria, but now its capability has been broadened to include the Gram-positive also. 7. Mass Spectrometry and Flow Cytometry. Another method is the analysis of cellular fatty acids by using gas chromatography.

What bacteria are Gram positive and Gram negative?

In contrast, Gram-negative lose crystal violet during the washing steps and hold only safranin to appear red. Bacterial species Bacillus and Escherichia are the example of the Gram-positive and Gram-negative respectively.

How to identify bacteria based on enzymatic activity?

Traditionally, different biochemical methods have also been used to identify bacteria based on the enzymatic activity. These methods include the catalase or oxidase tests. A bacterial species with catalase activity produces bubbles of oxygen when hydrogen peroxide is added to the bacterial smear on a microscope slide.

What are the methods used to identify bacteria?

There are many ways to identify bacteria and some are more reliable than others but here are the 11 primary methods of bacterial identification: Gram Stain. Endospore Stain. Acid-Fast Stain. Catalase and Oxidase Testing.

Which bacteria have a higher peptidoglycan?

The cell wall of Gram-positive has a higher peptidoglycan and lower lipid content than the Gram-negative. During the staining procedure, the Gram-positive bacteria retain crystal violet and appear blue. In contrast, Gram-negative lose crystal violet during the washing steps and hold only safranin to appear red. Bacterial species Bacillus and Escherichia are the example of the Gram-positive and Gram-negative respectively. After Gram staining, the morphological difference between a coccid and rod-shaped becomes much clearer under a compound light microscope with only 100X magnification.

How to classify bacteria?

The typical way to classify bacteria is by the composition of their cell wall. Gram positive bacteria have a cell wall that is thick with peptidoglycan. Staining these cells requires a positive ion chromogen like crystal violet to observe under a light microscope. Gram negative bacteria also have a peptidoglycan layer, but it's not as thick as gram positive bacteria. Gram negative bacteria have lipopolysaccharides on the exterior portion of their cell wall which allows them to be more pathogenic because the LPS chains can fool immune responses of host species. Staining these cells requires a negative ion chromogen like safranin since the cell wall attracts negative charges.

Why is it important to classify bacteria?

The taxonomic classification of bacteria or any other plant or animal is important because it allows those who study these creatures to note similarities and differences that might prove important. Taking bacteria and their potential medical importance just as an example, knowing that bacteria belong to a particular group could mean that selecting a medicine that will be most effective against them will be possible. Or it might make it easier to determine what symptom is caused by which of several bacteria present, and treat that differentially. Or knowing that a particular family of bacteria found in the gut are more able to help digest certain foods. Classification helps order the knowledge that we have about bacteria.

How do bacteria survive in water?

Literally from everywhere. They are the first organisms on our earth. They are the reason we have oxygen in our atmosphere. Some types can live in boiling water and marshes, even inside volcanoes. They can make some survival things called spores. They can live inside spores untill the bad conditions go away. Like high temperature, acidity, or anything. Just imagine you boil water. Bacteria that already in water, they make those spores ( not all types of bacteria ). After you done boiling it and after it cools down they come out and they do reproduction. They don't need a partner because they d

Why can't bacteria live in sugar?

Places that have high salt concentration and high sugar concentration. That's the reason we store food in salt and sugar. Doing that we can store food for a very long time. The reason they can't live in high sugar and salt concentration because the water percentages are very small, almost no water. So the moment bacteria enters, the water inside their bodies absorb by honey or salt. Then they die.

How many groups are there in bacteria?

Bacteria are classified into 5 groups according to their basic shapes:

Why is it important to know the taxonomic classification of bacteria?

The taxonomic classification of bacteria or any other plant or animal is important because it allows those who study these creatures to note similarities and differences that might prove important. Taking bacteria and their potential medical importance just as an example, knowing that bacteria belong to a particular group could mean that selecting a medicine that will be most effective against them will be possible. Or it might make it easier to determine what symptom is caused by which of several bacteria present, and treat that differentially. Or knowing that a particular family of bacteria

How many kingdoms are there in the phylogenetic classification of bacteria?

This classification took a phylogenetic characters as base for classification of bacteria and classified in to five kingdoms

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