Question

What are cell inclusions in prokaryotes?

Answer 1

Prokaryotic cells are primitive types of cells which have no nucleus or specialized organelles and they are also microscopic single celled organisms.

Complete answer:
In prokaryotic cells, there are non-living structures present and they are known as cell inclusions. They are formed when pH decreases and are ford from a pool of soluble proteins which are present inside the cell. They occur freely inside the cytoplasm of the cell, like for example, volutin, glycogen granules, etc, or they are covered by a non-unit protein membrane, example - sulphur granules, PHB granules, etc.

The general features of inclusion bodies are,

When stained using gypsum or methylene blue they can be seen as pink structures
They are acidophilic
They can show degenerative changes when produced during a viral infection
They can be a crystalline aggregates of virions

The inclusion bodies can be divided into three on the basis of their nature,

Food reserve - In blue green algae presence of lipid globules, protein granules, cyanophycean starch is seen whereas in bacteria glycogen replaces starch
Gas vacuoles - They help in storage and are found in cyanobacteria, green bacteria and help in protecting the bacteria from harmful radiations
Inorganic inclusions - It includes sulphur granules, magnetic granules, iron granules, and helps the bacteria to align itself along the geomagnetic lines

Note: Thus inclusion bodies are,

Cytoplasmic or nuclear aggregates of stainable substances
They can cause fungal infections, autoimmune diseases, neoplasms, bacterial infections, etc
Sulphur granules are present in bacteria that uses hydrogen sulphide