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Prokaryotic Cells

Prokaryotic Cells

Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains — Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common microorganisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.
Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize proteins.

Prokaryotic Cells

Prokaryotic Cells

Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains—Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common organisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize proteins. However,...

Prokaryotic cells

Prokaryotic cells

Prokaryotes are small unicellular organisms that include the domains—Archaea and Bacteria. Bacteria include many common organisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, while the Archaea include extremophiles that live in harsh environments, such as volcanic springs.Like eukaryotic cells, all prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane, have genetic material in the form of single, circular DNA, a cytoplasm that fills the interior of the cell, and ribosomes that synthesize proteins. However,...

Other Unique Bacteria

Other Unique Bacteria

Magnetic bacteria exhibit a directed movement called magnetotaxis, driven by structures called magnetosomes. These magnetosomes consist of chains of magnetic particles made of either magnetite (Fe₃O₄) or greigite (Fe₃S₄) and are organized in a linear conformation by a protein scaffold within invaginations of the cell membrane. The bacteria align along the north–south magnetic field lines, much like a compass needle. They are typically microaerophilic or anaerobic and are commonly found near the...

Microbial Morphologies

Microbial Morphologies

Bacterial and archaeal cells exhibit remarkable diversity in shape and structure, critical in their adaptability and functionality. Among bacteria, the most commonly observed shapes include cocci and bacilli. Cocci are spherical and may exist singly or in groupings such as pairs (diplococci), chains (streptococci), clusters (staphylococci), or tetrads. Bacilli, in contrast, are rod-shaped and can also occur as single cells, in pairs, or chains, depending on their environmental and genetic...

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria

Bacterial cells were initially considered simple, randomly organized structures lacking a cytoskeleton. However, the discovery of cytoskeleton homologs in bacteria led to the change of this opinion. Bacterial cytoskeletal filaments regulate the cell shape, cell polarity, cell division, and partitioning of plasmids during cell division. It was later discovered that bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, mainly actin and tubulin homologs, are diverse compared to their eukaryotic counterparts. On the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Population and Single-Cell Analysis of Antibiotic Persistence in Escherichia coli

Population and Single-Cell Analysis of Antibiotic Persistence in Escherichia coli

Published on: March 24, 2023

Individuality in bacteria.

Carla J Davidson¹, Michael G Surette

¹Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, Lansing, Michigan 48223, USA.

Annual Review of Genetics

|July 26, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Bacterial populations exhibit diversity through various mechanisms like bistability and variation. Evolutionary and game theories help explain these individual behaviors in changing environments.

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Evolutionary Biology
Theoretical Biology

Background:

Traditionally, microbiology focused on averaged bacterial population behavior.
Emerging research highlights significant phenotypic diversity within bacterial populations.
This diversity arises from various genetic and environmental mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To review mechanisms generating bacterial population-level variability.
To explore the application of evolutionary theory to bacterial individuality.
To discuss the use of game and information theory in understanding bacterial behavior.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on bacterial population diversity.
Analysis of mechanisms such as bistability, persistence, and variation.
Application of evolutionary, game, and information theory concepts.

Main Results:

Identified multiple strategies bacteria use to generate population diversity.
Highlighted the importance of environmental and ecological context for bacterial individuality.
Demonstrated the utility of theoretical frameworks in explaining bacterial adaptive strategies.

Conclusions:

Bacterial individuality is a key factor in population dynamics.
Evolutionary theory provides valuable insights into bacterial adaptations to variable environments.
Theoretical approaches like game theory are crucial for understanding complex bacterial behaviors.