• Comes from the Greek words Prenucleus
• One circular chromosome not in membrane
• No Histones
• No Organelles
• Examples:Bacteria: peptidoglycan cell walls & Archea Pseudomurein cell walls

• Cell division is by Binary Fision
• No sexual recombination

• Average size 0.2 -1.0um x 2-8um
• Most bacteria are monomorphic
• A few are Pleomorphic

• Bacillus,Coccus & Spiral

• Diploccocci,Streptococci,Tetrad,Sarcinae and Staphylococci.

• single bacillus,diplobacilli,streptobacilli,coccobacillus

• Spirillum 
• Vibrio
• Spirochete 

• helical and flexible

• Pairs: Diplococci,Diplobacilli
• Clusters: Staphylococci
• Chains: Streptococci, Streptobacilli

• Outside the cell wall
• Usually sticky
• Capsule: neatly organized
• Slime Layer" unorganized and loose
• Extracelullar polysaccharide allows cell to attach
• Capsules prevent phagocytosis

• Outside cell wall
• made of chains of flagelin
• Attached to a protein hook
• Anchored to the wall and membrane by the basal body

Gram Positive Bacteria

• Many layers of Peptidoglycan 
• Thick, rigid structure
• Ex: Staphilococcus Aureus
• contains Teichoic Acids

• Thin Peptidoglycan due to outer membrane presence
• Periplasmatic space between outer membrane and cell wall
• Ex: Eschericia Coli

• Macromolecular network composed in the bacteria's cell wall
• Polymer of disaccharide:

1. N. acetylglucosamine (NAG)
2. N. acetylmuramic (NAM)

• Peritrichous: Evenly distributed flagella
• Monotrichous: A single Flagella
• Lopotrichous:2 or more on one end
• Amphitrichous: one on each end

• found in spirochetes
• Anchored at one end of cell
• Rotation causes cell to move

Facilitates transfer of DNA from one cell to another

• Gliding Montility 
• Twitching Motility

• Prevents osmotic lysis
• Made of Peptidoglycan(in bacteria)

• Lipoteichoic acid linked to the plasma membrane 
• Wall teichoic acid links to peptidoglycan

May regulate movement of cations and

Polysaccharides provide antigenic variation

• forms the periplasm between the outer membrane and the plasma membrane
• Protection from phagocytes,complement, and antibiotics

Crystal violet is applied then Iodine and as a result large crystals are formed

In Gram Positive 

Alcohol is used to dehydrate the peptidoglycan as a result crystals do not escape

In Gram Negative

Alcohol dissolves the outer membrane leaving holes in Peptidoglycan and crystals escape

2 ring basal body

Disrupted by lysozyme (secreted in our sebum & sweat are able to destroy Peptidoglycan cross links)

They are Penicilin sensitive

*Penicilin:kills only actively growing cells by desruting cross-linkage, cell dies by Lysis(bursts)

4 ring basal body

Endotoxin

They're Tetracycline Sensitive

No walls or little wall material

Like Mycoplasmas and Archaea

Like gram positive cell walls

waxy lipid (Mycolic acid)bound to peptidoglycan

Ex:Mycobacterium and Norcadia

• Lysosyme: digests discharide in peptidoglycan
• Penicilin inhibits peptide bridges in peptidoglycan

The Plasma Membrane (Prokatyotes)

consist primarily of Phospolipids,lipid bilayer,

Protein Molecules:

Peripheral proteins

integral proteins

Transmembrane proteins

Contain enzymes that catalize chemical reactions that breakdown nutrients and produce ATP

Photosynthetic pigments on foldings called:chromatophores and thylakoids

movement of a substance(not water) accross membranes from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration

Small & nonpolar molecule

Facilitators of diffusion are channel or carrier

Transporters protein in the membrane assists molecule with transport accross the membrane

large and/or polar molecule H+

Lipid Layer

Aquaporins(water channels)

Protein Synthesis

70s

50s + 30s subunits

• Metachromatic granules(volutin)-Phosphate reserve
• Polysaccharide granule-energy reserves
• Lipid inclusions-energy reserves
• Sulfur granules-energy reserves
• Carboxysomes-Ribulose, 1.5 disphosphate carboxylase for CO2 fixation
• Gas Vacuoles-Protein covered cylinders
• Magnetosomes-Iron oxide (destroys hydrogen peroxide H2 O2)

Resting Cells 

Resistant to desiccation,heat,chemicals

Ex: Bacillus, Clostridium