Bacterivores
Bacterivores are free-living, unicellular, heterotrophic organisms that meet their energy and nutrient requirements through phagocytosis of bacteria . Some amoeba species and some protozoa species are bacterivorous. Almost all types of bacteria belong to their prey. The spores of some species such as Clostridium perfringens are not prey due to their cell-specific properties.
Bacterivores in Microbiology
In water microbiology , water samples can be examined for microorganisms. For most untreated water samples, it must be assumed that in addition to bacteria, bacterivores can also be found in the samples. By adding the antibiotic cycloheximide , bacterivores are selectively removed from the samples as cycloheximide inhibits their growth. For sediment contaminated with bacteria, the determined amount of added cycloheximide is 2 g per 100 g sediment. When examining spores , the addition of cycloheximide can be dispensed with.
Known bacterivores
- Ceriodaphnia quadrangula
- Diaphanosoma brachyura
- Paramecium ( Paramecium )
- some bells (Vorticellidae)
literature
- Schönborn, Wilfried: Textbook of Limnology , 2003, ISBN 3510652045
- Schwoerbel, Jürgen; Brendelberger, Heinz: Introduction to Limnology, 9th Edition , 2005, ISBN 3827414989
credentials
- Davies, Cheryl M. et al .: Survival of Fecal Microorganisms in Marine and Freshwater Sediments , 1995, PMC 167451 (free full text)