Cyanobacteria: Definition, Structure, Characteristics – Class 11 | Chapter – 2 | Short Notes Series PDF

Cyanobacteria are prokaryotic oxygenic phototrophs that contain a green pigment called chlorophyll and a blue photosynthetic pigment called phycobilins. Prokaryotic means they don’t have a membrane-bound nucleus, mitochondria or other type of membranebound organelle (like true algae do). A phototroph is an organism that uses energy from the sun to synthesize organic compounds for food.

These bacteria grow naturally in marine and freshwater systems. They thrive in dams, rivers, reservoirs, lakes and even in hot springs. These bacteria normally look green and sometimes turns blue when scum are dying. Almost all species of these bacteria are buoyant and float on the water surface and forms floating mats.

Cyanobacteria Structure

Cyanobacteria cells, which are typically one-tenth to one-twentieth the size of eukaryotic cells, are round in shape.

A typical cyanobacteria cell consists of an outer cellular covering, a cytoplasm and nucleic material. The outer cellular covering consists of a mucilaginous layer, which protects the cell from environmental factors, a complex, multi-layered cell wall made of polysaccharides and mucopeptides, and an inner living plasma membrane. These are the basics of cyanobacteria structure.

The cytoplasm has pigmented lamellae (membraneous folds) around its periphery, derived from plasma membrane. The pigments include chlorophylls, carotenes, xanthophylls, c-phycoerythrin and c-phycocyanin. C-phycoerythrin and c-phycocyanin are unique to blue-green algae.

The nucleoplasm, where the DNA is located, is made up of lots of threadlike fibers or filaments and is in the center of the cell. There is no nuclear boundary or nucleolus. The nucleoplasmic material scattered throughout the cell splits in two during the cell division process.

While cyanobacteria cells don’t have organelles like mitochondria, chloroplasts, endoplasmic reticulum or golgi apparatus, which are all found in eukaryotic cells, they both have ribosomes. Ribosomes contain RNA (ribonucleic acid) and are responsible for protein synthesis. Ribosomes in cyanobacteria cells are approximately one-third smaller than ribosomes in eukaryotic cells, but they perform similar functions.

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By Team Learning Mantras