Lophotrichous Bacteria Examples

Lophotrichous Bacteria

Lophotrichous bacteria have multiple flagella located at the same spot on the bacterial surfaces which act in concert to drive the bacteria in a single direction. In many cases, the bases of multiple flagella are surrounded by a specialized region of the cell membrane, called the polar organelle.

Lophotrichous are those bacteria that have multiple flagella at one polar end or multiple flagella at one point. These flagella works in a uniform way to give motility to the bacteria.

Lophotrichous bacteria are firm, spore-like rods with helical coils. The coils are called sheaths and can be easily seen under a microscope. They are not motile (meaning they cannot move on their own) and they require a substrate for growth.

When they do grow, lophotrichous bacteria can produce various acids and enzymes including amylase, proteases, cellulases, and lipases. These are all useful in various food products to help break down the food.

Lophotrichous bacteria are a solitary form of life that can be found in soil, water, and air but they cannot exist on their own. These bacteria need close contact with other bacteria or other kinds of food sources for their survival.

These small rod-shaped bacteria have been around for eons before our current species came about, and there are estimated to be over 2 millions different species. The most abundant lophotrichous bacteria are spore-forming bacteria, which play a very important role in the decomposition of organic matter.

Spore forming bacteria such as Bacillus (Bacteria) species can be found almost anywhere. They can be found in many grains and legumes, including corn, rice, wheat, barley and soybeans as well as human foodstuffs like cheeses and meats.

The bacteria can survive and even grow on a wide variety of organic materials. A recent study by researchers from the University of California San Diego showed that lophotrichous bacteria could be found in both decaying and non-decaying mammal fossils, an indication that they are capable of growing and changing with environmental changes.

The food sources which the bacteria need to survive are all around us, but this process is not as often seen because it happens naturally in the soil or water.