Bacterial Cell

• Cell Envelope

  The cell envelope is the outermost layer of a bacterial cell and acts as a protective barrier
• Cell Wall: ​Provides structural support and shape to the bacteria. It can be rigid or flexible depending on the bacteria.
• Cell Membrane: ​A selectively permeable membrane that controls the flow of materials in and out of the cell.
• Glycocalyx (Capsules and Slime Layers)

  Not all bacteria have a glycocalyx, but for those that do, it's a sugary layer external to the cell wall. It can provide functions like adhesion, protection, and nutrient acquisition.
• Capsule: ​A well-defined, tightly bound layer
• Slime Layer: ​A loose, less-structured layer
• cytoplasm is the jelly-like interior of the cell where most cellular activities take place
• Cytosol: A fluid that suspends the cell's organelles and nutrients
• Dissolved nutrients and waste products
• Enzymes: Proteins that carry out various cellular functions
• Plasmids: ​Small, circular DNA molecules separate from the bacterial chromosome. They often carry genes for nonessential functions, such as antibiotic resistance.
• Ribosomes: ​Cellular machines for protein synthesis. Ribosomes are found throughout the cytoplasm, free-floating or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum in more complex

  cells.
• nucleoid is the region within the cytoplasm where the bacterial chromosome, a single circular DNA molecule, is located. It's not enclosed by a nuclear membrane, unlike the nucleus in eukaryotic cells.
• Inclusions

  These are non-living storage granules within the cytoplasm that bacteria use to store nutrients

  or energy sources for later use.
• Volutin (polyphosphate granules): Energy storage
• Lipid inclusions: Fat storage
• Glycogen granules: Carbohydrate storage
• Flagella: Long, whip-like structures that bacteria use for swimming or moving around
• Fimbriae (adhesins):Short, hair-like structures that help bacteria adhere to surfaces or other cells.
• Pili (sex pili): ​Specialized fimbriae used for conjugation, a type of horizontal gene transfer between bacteria.
• endospore is a dormant, tough structure formed by some bacteria within the cell. It allows the bacteria to survive harsh environmental conditions like extreme heat, ​dryness, or lack of nutrients.