Scientists have discovered the world's largest bacterium -- visible to the naked eye -- in a Caribbean mangrove swamp.
BERKELEY -- Scientists have discovered the world's largest bacterium in a Caribbean mangrove swamp.
But he didn't immediately know it was a bacterium because of its surprisingly large size -- these bacteria, on average, reach a length of a third of an inch . Only later genetic analysis revealed the organism to be a single bacterial cell. "It's an amazing discovery," said Petra Levin, a microbiologist at Washington University in St Louis, who was not involved in the study."It opens up the question of how many of these giant bacteria are out there — and reminds us we should never, ever underestimate bacteria."Scientists have not yet been able to grow it in lab culture, but the researchers' say the cell has a structure that's unusual for bacteria.
"The acquisition of this large central vacuole definitely helps a cell to bypass physical limitations ... on how big a cell can be," said Manuel Campos, a biologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research, who was not involved in the study. The researchers said they aren't certain why the bacterium is so large, but co-author Volland hypothesized it may be an adaptation to help it avoid being eaten by smaller organisms.© 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Please enter email address to continue
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