Creating bacteria, nature has invested in them a huge margin of safety, not characteristic of other living organisms that inhabit the Earth. And no wonder! Indeed, during the existence of these microorganisms (billions of years, according to scientists), there were numerous disasters on the planet that these creatures could survive. We will discuss how this happened and the role of spores in the life of bacteria.
Special stage
Simply put, the controversy in microorganisms is a special stage of development, intended solely for the preservation of the genus in conditions detrimental to life. Unlike mushrooms, for example. Their spores also serve for reproduction. What is the role of spores in the life of bacteria? Their occurrence is observed in nature when the environment ceases to be nutritious, when the culture itself is aging, when the parameters of temperature and humidity change and become unsuitable for life. In the presence of these conditions, microorganisms do not die, but rather “hibernate” until better times. How does this happen?
Process
Interestingly, only one spore is formed from one bacterium. Recall that microorganisms are unicellular creatures. The nucleus (or similarity of the nucleus) of a bacterial cell is, as it were, isolated from the protoplasmic mass. Then she wears a special sheath, protective in nature, which strongly refracts the rays. Perhaps that is why, under a microscope, the spore seems brilliant. This shell can act as a reliable carapace that protects the “dried up” bacterium, which has significantly decreased in size, from temperature extremes, and from mechanical and chemical effects. The rest of the cell dies and the spore “hatches” out. What is the role of spores in the life of bacteria? The answer is simple: this special mechanism, invented by nature, is designed for the self-preservation of microorganisms if the conditions of their existence change in a negative direction.
What happens next?
This particular form of existence is extremely durable. In such a "canned" form, microorganisms can be for many years, subjected to freezing and boiling, shock and chemical attack. Scientists placed the spores in a vacuum, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and anyway - the spores were, subsequently, viable. It is likely that a dispute could have existed in space for quite some time. To understand the role of spores in the life of bacteria, we can recall the theory of the population of the planet with bacteria that were brought to Earth along with cosmic dust. According to some scholars, the result of the emergence of a dispute here in ancient times was the development of life and all its diverse forms.
What is the role of spores in the life of bacteria?
Persisting for many years, spores, having fallen into suitable conditions, begin their transformation into ordinary cells. They, like seeds, germinate and become completely viable bacteria.