Find the classification schemes of a bacterium
Answers
Major groups of this system include: Gracilicutes (gram negative); Firmacutes (gram positive); Mollicutes (gram variable, e.g. Mycoplasma); and Mendocutes (uneven gram stain, “metlynogenic bacteria” now known as the Archaea).
Answer:
The Gram stain, developed in 1884 by Hans Christian Gram, characterizes bacteria based on the structural characteristics of their cell walls. The thick layers of peptidoglycan in the “Gram-positive” cell wall stain purple, while the thin “Gram-negative” cell wall appears pink. By combining morphology and Gram-staining, most bacteria can be classified as belonging to one of four groups (Gram-positive cocci, Gram-positive bacilli, Gram-negative cocci, and Gram-negative bacilli). Some organisms are best identified by stains other than the Gram stain, particularly mycobacteria or Nocardia, which show acid-fastness on Ziehl–Neelsen or similar stains. Other organisms may need to be identified by their growth in special media, or by other techniques, such as serology.