Introduction

Worldwide presence microscopic there are various types of organisms that can be considered bacteria or actinomycetes. At first glance they may seem like they are the same, but in reality there are some important differences between them. In this article we will learn what the differences are between actinomycetes and bacteria.

What are bacteria?

bacteria are unicellular organisms They are characterized by their small size and spherical, rod-shaped or spiral shape. They can also be considered prokaryotes, that is, they lack a defined nucleus. They present a cellular wall which can be of different types, such as the outer membrane, the peptidoglycan wall and the cytoplasmic membrane.

What are actinomycetes?

Actinomycetes, for their part, are organisms similar to bacteria but with some important differences. They are unicellular beings with variable shapes, which can be spherical or filamentous, like those of a fungus. Unlike bacteria, actinomycetes are gram-positive prokaryotes that are closely related to cyanobacteria and green algae.

Differences between actinomycetes and bacteria

Although bacteria and actinomycetes share some similarities, there are several important differences between both types of organisms:

Cell shape and structure

Bacteria are usually spherical, rod-shaped or spiral, while actinomycetes can have a much more varied shape, including filamentous forms similar to of mushrooms. Furthermore, the Cell structure of actinomycetes is more complex due to the presence of hyphae and sporangia that are not found in bacteria.

Production of secondary metabolites

Actinomycetes are known for their ability to produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites, including antibiotics, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory. For their part, bacteria can also produce some secondary metabolites, but their capacity is much lower than that of actinomycetes.

Antibiotic resistance

Due to their ability to produce antibiotics, actinomycetes have greater resistance to these compounds than bacteria. In fact, many of the antibiotics used in medicine They come from actinomycetes, which demonstrates their ability to resist these substances.

Conclusion

Bacteria and actinomycetes are two types of microscopic organisms that share some similarities but have several important differences. In this article we have seen the Main differences between these two types of organisms, including the form and cell structure, the production of secondary metabolites and resistance to antibiotics.

Quotes

• Mensour, H. (2018). Actinomycetes: importance and applications in biotechnology. Advances in Microbial Physiology and Metabolic Engineering, 1(1), 1-10.
• Gupta, S., & Pandey, S. (2018). Microbiology of actinomycetes: a review. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 7(10), 371-384.

Article written by Juan Pérez.

You may also be interested in this related content:

• Difference between cytokinesis in the plant cell and cytokinesis in the animal cell
• Difference between phototrophs and chemotrophs
• Difference between Leydig cells and Sertoli cells