What is the Difference Between Mycoplasma and Bacteria?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between mycoplasma and bacteria is the presence of a cell wall. Bacteria have a cell wall that provides structure and protection, while mycoplasma lack a cell wall and have a highly pleomorphic shape, meaning they can change shape and are not fixed. Some key differences between mycoplasma and bacteria include:
- Cell Wall: Bacteria have a cell wall, which is a rigid structure that determines their shape, while mycoplasma do not have a cell wall and lack a distinct shape.
- Shape: Bacteria can have various shapes, such as spiral, coccus, or bacillus, due to the presence of a rigid cell wall. Mycoplasma, on the other hand, have a usually spherical to filamentous shape and are highly pleomorphic.
- Osmotic Fragility: Mycoplasma differ from bacteria in their osmotic fragility, which refers to how susceptible they are to changes in osmotic pressure, and their filterability through membrane filters with a pore size of 450 nm.
- Size: Mycoplasma are smaller than most bacteria, belonging to the class Mollicutes, which translates to "soft skin".
Mycoplasma are known as wall-less bacteria and are examples of cell-wall-deficient bacteria, along with L-form bacteria. Some mycoplasma species are intracellular pathogens that grow inside their hosts, making them parasitic or saprophytic.
Comparative Table: Mycoplasma vs Bacteria
Here is a table comparing the differences between Mycoplasma and Bacteria:
Feature | Mycoplasma | Bacteria |
---|---|---|
Shape | Usually spherical to filamentous | Spiral, coccus, bacillus |
Shape modifications | Irregularity in shape, highly pleomorphic | Due to the presence of a rigid cell wall, their shape is definite |
Cell wall | Lack a cell wall | Contain a cell wall |
Genome | Low molecular weight | Varies, can be of any type |
Osmotic fragility | Highly osmotically fragile | Less osmotically fragile |
Filterability | Filterable through 450 nm pore diameter membrane filters | Not filterable through 450 nm pore diameter membrane filters |
Colony shape | Forms irregular colonies | Forms regular colonies |
Mycoplasma is a genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall, which results in a spherical shape and a high degree of pleomorphism. They are typically gram-negative, aerobic or facultative aerobic bacteria. On the other hand, bacteria are unicellular, prokaryotic organisms with a cell wall and a definite shape, such as spiral, coccus, or bacillus.
- Mycoplasma vs Mycobacterium
- Mycoplasma vs Phytoplasma
- Mycoplasma vs Chlamydia
- L-form Bacteria vs Mycoplasma
- Mycoplasma vs Ureaplasma
- Bacteria vs Viruses
- Bacteria vs Fungi
- Protozoa vs Bacteria
- Germs vs Bacteria
- Mycoplasma Hominis vs Genitalium
- Parasite vs Bacteria
- Protists vs Bacteria
- Bacteria vs Eukaryotes
- Bacteria vs Mollicutes
- Bacteria vs Cyanobacteria
- Mycobacterium Tuberculosis vs Mycobacterium Bovis
- Atypical Bacteria vs Typical Bacteria
- Plant Cell vs Bacterial Cell
- Bacteria vs Archaea