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Cell Biology: Size, Shape, Structure and Arrangement of Cells

Cell biology documents describe the size, shape, and arrangement of cells. Bacteria vary greatly in size from 0.2 μm to over 700 μm in diameter. Their shapes include spheres, rods, spirals, and other irregular forms. Bacterial cells arrange themselves in characteristic patterns such as chains, clusters, and groups. Surface area to volume ratio is important for nutrient absorption and waste removal in small bacterial cells.

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421 views23 pages

Cell Biology: Size, Shape, Structure and Arrangement of Cells

Cell biology documents describe the size, shape, and arrangement of cells. Bacteria vary greatly in size from 0.2 μm to over 700 μm in diameter. Their shapes include spheres, rods, spirals, and other irregular forms. Bacterial cells arrange themselves in characteristic patterns such as chains, clusters, and groups. Surface area to volume ratio is important for nutrient absorption and waste removal in small bacterial cells.

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SELVI A
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CELL BIOLOGY

Size, shape, structure and


arrangement of cells
INTRODUCTION
• Morphology means cell shape and size
• there is a remarkable amount of variation due
to differences in genetics and ecology
• Bacteria vary in size as much as in shape.
• Vary in size from as small as about 0.2 μm in
diameter to those more than 700 μm in
diameter
• Mycoplasma – 0.3 μm
• Cyanobacterium, Oscillatoria is about 7 μm in
diameter (the same diameter as a red blood
cell).
• Nanobacteria or ultramicrobacteria range
from around 0.2 μm to 0.05 μm in diameter
SIZE OF RBC, CYANOBACTERIA, E COLI AND VIRUS
• Discovered by Fishelsoni in 1985
• Epulopiscium fishelsoni is million times larger
in volume than E. coli
• Cells longer than 600 μm (0.6 mm)
• Heidi Schulz in 1997 discovered the largest
bacteria - Thiomargarita namibiensis (ocean
sediment, Namibia).
• Spherical -forming chains of cells - size ranging
between 100-750 μm in diameter (0.75 mm).
• 100 times larger in volume than Epulopiscium
fishelsoni
Eukaryote
• Extremely small eukaryote, Nanochlorum
eukaryotum.
• Nanochlorum eukaryotum is only about 1 to 2
μm in diameter (about the size of E. coli).
• Surface area to volume ratio is higher for bacteria
because of its smaller size.
• Small size is extremely important because it
allows for a large surface area-to-volume ratio
• Allows for rapid uptake and intracellular
distribution of nutrients and excretion of wastes.
SHAPE OF BACTERIA
• Typical bacterial cells are
Spherical (cocci: singular. coccus);
Straight rods (bacilli; singular. bacillus); or
Rods that are helically curved (spirilla:
singular. spirillum).
• Some have cells that are pleomorphic, i.e.,
that can exhibit a variety of shapes.
OTHER UNCOMMON SHAPES
• Pear shaped cells (Ex: Pasteuria)
• Lobed spheres (Ex: Sulfolobus)
• Rods with square rather than the
usual hemispherical ends (Ex:
Bacillus anthracis)
• Rods with helically sculpture
surfaces (Ex: Seliberia)
• Gallionella produce nonliving stalks
• Long multinucleate filaments to form
mycelia (Ex: Actinomycetes)

• Spirochetes, highly whirled/coiled


bacteria

• Hyphomicrobium with hyphae & bud

• Anthony E. Walsby has discovered


square bacteria living in salt ponds
ARRANGEMENT OF BACTERIAL CELLS

Cocci
• Cocci appear in several characteristic
arrangements, depending on the plane of
cellular division and whether the daughter cells
stay together following division
• Diplococci - Cells divide in one plan and remain
attached in pairs
• Streptococci - Cells divide in one plan and remain
in chains of 4 – 20
• Tetrads or Tetracocci - Cells divide in two
planes and remain as four cells
• Sarcinae - Cells divide in three planes in a
regular pattern producing cuboidal
arrangement of cell
• Staphylococci - Cells divide in three planes in
an irregular pattern producing bunches of cells
or grapelike clusters
Bacilli typically divide only across their short axis.
• Bacilli - Single rod shaped cell
• Diplobacilli - Two bacilli together.
• Streptobacilli - Chains of bacilli.
• Trichomes - Similar to chains but have a much
larger area of contact between the adjacent
cells.
• Palisades - Cells are lined side by side like
matchsticks at angles to one another.
COCCOBACILLUS
• A type of rod-shaped bacteria.
• Coccobacillus means an intermediate shape
between coccus (spherical) and bacillus
(elongated).
• Coccobacilli rods are so short and wide that
they resemble cocci
(a) punctiform (b) circular (c) irregular (d) filamentous (e) rhizoid (f) spindle. Elevation: (g) flat (h)
raised (i) convex (j) pulvinate (k) umbonate (l) crateriform. Margin: (m) entire (n) undulate (o)
lobate (p) filamentous.
terminal (a, d, e), subterminal (b), central (c, f). Shape: circular (b, d),
ellipsoid (a, c, e, f). Spore diameter compared with cell diameter: non-
deforming (a, b, c), deforming (d, e, f).
Stalked bcterium, Planctomyces

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