Give an account of the general characteristic features of bacteria.

Explanation

General characteristic features of bacteria :
1. They are prokaryotic organisms and lack nuclear membrane and membrane bound organelles.
2. The genetic material is called nucleoid or genophore or incipient nucleus.
3. The cell wall is made up of polysaccharides and proteins.
4. Most of them lack chlorophyll, hence they are heterotrophic but some are autotrophic and possess bacteriochlorophyll.
5. They reproduce vegetatively by fission and endospore formation.
6. They exhibit variations which are due to genetic recombination and is achieved through conjugation, transformation and transduction.
7. The shape and flagellation of the bacteria varies in different types of bacteria.