Structure

Book excerpt: The Bacteria: Volume I: Structure deals with the structure of bacteria and covers topics ranging from the composition and organization of the bacterial protoplasm to the movement of bacteria, morphology of bacterial spores, and bacterial protoplasts. The internal structure and surface layers of the bacterial cell are also discussed together with L-forms of bacteria, bacterial viruses, and localization of bacterial enzymes. This volume is comprised of 10 chapters and begins with an overview of cell theory and the theory of the unity of biochemistry, followed by an analysis of the composition and organization of the bacterial protoplasm. The next chapter explores the internal structure of bacteria, focusing on the cytoplasm and its surface as well as chromatin bodies. The surface layers of the bacterial cell is then discussed, paying particular attention to the cell wall, along with the movement of bacteria such as the spirochetes. Bacterial movements considered as tactic responses to external stimuli are highlighted. The remaining chapters analyze the development and germination of bacterial spores; the morphology and structure of bacterial protoplasts; L-forms of bacteria; and structure and function of bacterial viruses. This book also presents an antigenic analysis of cell structure before concluding with a chapter on the localization of enzymes in bacteria. This monograph will be a valuable resource for microbiologists, bacteriologists, biochemists, and biologists.