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Wigglesworthia Glossinidia Brevipalpis
''Wigglesworthia glossinidia'' is a species of gram-negative bacteria which was isolated from the gut of the tsetse fly. ''W. glossinidia'' is a bacterial endosymbiont of the tsetse fly. Because of this relationship, ''Wigglesworthia'' has lost a large part of its genome and has one of the smallest known genomes of any living organism, consisting of a single chromosome of 700,000 bp and a plasmid of 5,200. Together with ''Buchnera aphidicola'', ''Wigglesworthia'' has been the subject of genetic research into the minimal genome necessary for any living organism. ''Wigglesworthia'' also synthesizes key B-complex vitamins which the tsetse fly does not get from its diet of blood. Without the vitamins ''Wigglesworthia'' produces, the tsetse fly has greatly reduced growth and reproduction.Nogge, G. 1976. Sterility in tsetse flies (Glossina morsitans Westwood) caused by loss of symbionts. Experientia 32, 995−996. Since the tsetse fly is the primary vector of ''Trypanosoma brucei'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on Earth, and are present in most of its habitats. Bacteria inhabit soil, water, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, and the deep biosphere of Earth's crust. Bacteria are vital in many stages of the nutrient cycle by recycling nutrients such as the fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere. The nutrient cycle includes the decomposition of dead bodies; bacteria are responsible for the putrefaction stage in this process. In the biological communities surrounding hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, extremophile bacteria provide the nutrients needed to sustain life by converting dissolved compounds, such as hydrogen sulphide and methane, to energy. Bacteria also live in symbiotic and parasitic relationsh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
