Rare bacterium, between Spirochaeta and bacillus

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carlos.uruguay
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Rare bacterium, between Spirochaeta and bacillus

Post by carlos.uruguay »

This rare and thin bacterium found in fresh water
it has Spirochaeta characteristics on one end, but the rest of its body remains straight as if it were a bacillus
It measures about 10um in length but is so thin that it is almost at the limit of resolution of the optical microscope
Immersion objective 100X phase contrast
Panasonic GH4 camera
Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_nQBp6-vO8

eward1897
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? flagellated

Post by eward1897 »

Just a suggestion, but I wonder if your bacterium is a long thin bacillus with a flagellum (monotrichous) or several flagella (lophotrichous) at just one end. Watching the video maybe there is not a fixed curvature of the bacterium at one end, but it temporarily deforms into a spiral shape when the flagellum is turning.

Does anyone know if bacterial flagella are visible with phase contrast light microscopy? I've seen many bacteria zooming along in spiral motions I presume are flagella propelled, but I'm not sure if I've seen bacterial flagella directly. When I google one video purporting to show bacterial flagella, it seems to show some flagellated protists zooming between bacteria.

Thanks for the post.


Ed in USA
old AO phase optics on Reichert microstar iv ('crappiest microscope ever produced by the hand of man' )

carlos.uruguay
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Post by carlos.uruguay »

Thanks.
Yes, the flagella are visible as seen in the following links, but the bacterium in the video does not seem to have flagella
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0mM40FN1CQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-CeGrBNXGw

Jacek
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Post by Jacek »

Very nice

carlos.uruguay
Posts: 5358
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 8:05 pm
Location: Uruguay - Montevideo - America del Sur
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Post by carlos.uruguay »

Thanks

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