Bacteria are unicellular, prokaryotic microorganisms that are omnipresent and characterized by a thick cell wall and lack of true organelles. They exhibit various nutritional modes and possess a single circular chromosome, with genetic material known as genophore. Reproduction occurs asexually through methods like binary fission and includes genetic recombination through conjugation, transduction, and transformation.

1. BACTERIACELL
GENERAL CHARACTERS
BY- ALPANA DAVE

2. A TYPICAL BACTERIAL CELL

3. General Characters of Bacteria
◦Omnipresent i.e. present in soil, air and water.
◦Unicellular, prokaryotic microorganism.
◦The cell bears a thick rigid cell wall outside the plasma
membrane .
◦They have great variation in the mode of nutrition i.e. may be
autotrophic and heterotrophic.

4. ◦Lack true chlorophyll but few photosynthetic bacteria have a
special type of chlorophyll called bacteriochlorophyll.
◦The cell wall of bacteria is mainly consist of peptidoglycan or
murein.
◦Lack most of the cell organelles.
◦Ribosomes are of 70S type.
◦Lack true nucleus (lacking nuclear membrane and nucleolus)
◦Genetic material is in the form of composite structure known
as genophore /nucleoid/incipient nucleus.

6. ◦They lack basic protein histone in their DNA.
◦Both DNA and RNA are present in the bacterial cell.
◦DNA is in the form of single circular chromosome (therefore
the cell is haploid)
◦At some places the plasma membrane invaginate in folds to form
mesosomes.
◦All the enzymes required for respiration are found in the cell
membrane.

8. ◦Vegetative reproduction is generally by binary fission, cyst, budding
etc.
◦Asexual reproduction is by conidia, motile spores and endospore.
◦True sexual reproduction is absent in bacteria.
◦There are examples of genetic recombination which may be of
following types viz. Conjugation, transduction and transformation

9. Azotobacter- Cyst