BIO 3124 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Ionic Strength, Bacterial Gliding, Clostridium
6 Jan 2015
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Do not appear when cells are untreated / cryopreserved. Function as survival structures and are formed when there are unfavourable conditions. Protects dna by drying out the core of where dna is. If it was not dehydrated, ice crystals could form and break dna. Is the dormant stage of the bacterial life cycle. Extremely resistant to heat, harsh chemicals, and radiation. Only found in some gram-positive bacteria (e. g. : soil bacteria) We use steam to try to infuse the dye into the endospore. Core wall, cytoplasmic membrane, remainder of cytoplasm, nucleoid, ribosomes. Endospores are enriched in calcium which complexes with dipicolinic acid. This helps bind any free water within the core and dehydrates the core to protect dna (i. e. : anything inside the cytoplasmic membrane) Dipicolinic acid intercalates between dna to protect dna. Contains 10-25% of the water content found in the vegetative cell core. Water content in the endospore core is much less.
