Morphometric analysis of bacteria associated with soil millipedes

• Published in: Microbiology (New York) Vol. 75; no. 2; pp. 219 - 225
• Main Authors: Guzev, V. S, Byzov, B. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nauka/Interperiodica 01.03.2006
• Subjects: Bacteria; bacterial communities; cells; culture media; digestive tract; Diplopoda; electron microscopy; habitats; intestines; morphometry; scanning electron microscopy; soil; soil ecology; soil invertebrates; vegetative cells
• ISSN: 0026-2617; 1608-3237
• DOI: 10.1134/S0026261706020172

Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the average cell size of bacteria associated with the digestive tract of soil millipedes was 0.65 μm in diameter, 1.36 μm in length, and 0.60 μm³ in volume. An example of millipedes illustrated that the intestinal tract bacteria of soil invertebrates share the following features: (1) a high density level in this habitat; (2) existence mostly in the form of vegetative cells; (3) a cell size significantly smaller than that of bacteria functioning in soil; (4) a cell size closer to the lower limits of the size range characteristic for bacterial cultures grown in laboratory media. All this suggests that the bacterial community of the digestive tract differs from the typical soil community not only in composition but also in a higher level of physiological activity.