UNIVERSITY OF J01<DAN

Faculty OF Medicine

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LECTURE NO~ 3

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~ DR.: AS'''' ALSH'HA~'

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In order to classify bacteria into genres or int.o
species, we have to know how bacteria grow (both
in vitro & in vivo) and how they obtain energy.

According to the source of energy, bacteria can be

divided into ~ major groups:
') Heterotro~ derive their energy from
breaking down complex organic compounds -
proteins, sugars, fat ...
N.B.: bacteria that reside on human tissue i.e: oral
cavity, intestines, urethra, vagina... without causing
disease are called commensal bacteria. However
during injury- oral or intestinal or others- these
commensal bacteria become pathogenic and may
cause disease.
N.B.: all pathogens are heterotrophs.

~) Autotrophs: survive and live in the nature,

where they fix COr to make their own food
source. According to their source of energy they
are divided into ~ types:
i) photoautotrophs: using light energy
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ii) chemoautotrophs: oxidation of nitrogen or

sulfur
 ") Saprophytes: like commensal bacteria, they
are nonpathogenic. They produce energy by
fermentation or by respiration. Responsibie.
for decay and rot of food, dead organisms ...

According to O~ consumption:
, ) Microaerophillic : bacteria that grow in
environments with low O~ concentration ~ high CO~
, 0%_ , •% (normal concentration is '.' f %)
example: nisseria, this pathogen is responsible for
" diseases - gonorrhea and meningitis-

") Obligate anaerobes: cannot tolerate O~,

because O~ deactivates enzymes in their
membrane responsible for transport thus leading
to death of the bacteria. They obtain their energy
by the breakdown of organic compounds and use in
organic compounds as end recipients of electrons.
This is done by fermentation. This bacteria makes
up to "0%_" "% of the bacteria in our intestines and
up to " · % of the bacteria in the mouth and vagina.
N.B.: obligate anaerobes establish equilibrium and
contribute to the digestion of foo'd in the
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intestines. Aiso bateriode fragil help detoxify

toxins.
i) Obligate aerobes: bacteria that grow using Or
as the end recipient of electrons by respiration.
These bacteria usually reside in the respiratory
tract.
Example: M. tuberculosis
They survive in the atmospheric Or level due to i
enzymes:
- Peroxidase: during oxidative phosphorylation
the bacteria produce HrOr which inhibits some
transport proteins. This enzyme oxidizes HrOr
into HrO and NAD.
- Superoxiase dismutase: reduces active Or (
negatively charged) into HrOr and molecular Or
- Catalase: reduces HrOr into HrO and Or
N.B: these enzymes are found only in obligate
anaerobe and facultive aerobes. Thus obligate
anaerobes cannot get rid of HrOr

Culture Media
in order to study any type of bacteria we have to
use a cuture media, a media that contains all the
necessary nutrients and minerals for bacterial
growth.
Culture media can be in " forms:
') Solic:J: called gggr and is usually
placed in a Petri dish.

We can see spots in the dish, each one

'represents a colony derive~ from ,
bacterial cell

") Fluid: called broth and is formed in test

tubes. Notice the turbidity (actually he
bacteria)

For the growth of bacteria we do not only need

nutrients but we also need the correct physical
environment.
Classification according to pH:
, ) neutrophils: pH v-v." , most pathogens are
this type
") acidophils: <pH 0, important in the intestines
. of newly born enfants. One type is called
lactobacilli. Also found in the vagina for for
protection.

Classification according to temperature:

 ') mesophiles:" •°c_ i • °c but optimum is iV °c,
pathogens are of this type.
") Psychrophiles: <, · °c
i) Thermophiles: >\. °c, non-pathogenic exept
for' type called M.thermophillia which
causes lung infection.

N. B.: generation time is the time it takes one

newly formed bacteria cell to divide into" cells.

Bacteria divide by binary fission, where" equal

size cells are formed. During the process
elongation of chromosomes occurs and a septum or
cell wall is formed in the middle of the dividing
cell. In the rapidly dividing bacteria, usually
facultive anaerobes, the generation time is ". min.
however, this can be slowed down due to many
factors i.e: depletion of nutrients.

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 Bact 1;141 Gl'owth urv~

Lag Log Death

Phase Phase Stationary Phase Phase
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en
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Z

Time
-La9.....Phase: adaptation, "nd activation of
,st
enzymes, ,rd replication. In this stage there is a
few hundred cells and there is no turbidity in the
test tubes.
-monential growth: rapid growth + turbidity in
the test tube.
-Stationary phase: due to the presence of limited
nutrients bacteria cannot grow forever and
eventually some start to die ~ equilibrium,
growth=death. It stays approx. "i hrs
-Death phase: death>growth
N.B.: in industry, to grow bacteria we keep a
constant supply of nutrients
NB.: In the human body, there is an equilibrium
between growth and death~ stationary phase.