Researchers have discovered an absolutely massive bacterium that can be seen without the aid of a microscope and lurks among the mangroves of Grande-Terre in the Caribbean.
- A large, sulfur-eating bacterium in the genus Thiomargarita carries the same kind of water-filled pouch, and based on this similarity, the researchers have proposed that the humongous microbe be named T. magnifica.
Salient features of T. magnifica
- This is a single-celled organism which can grow up to 0.78 inches (2 centimeters) long and resembles a thin string.
- The bacterium carries all its DNA inside a membranous pouch, unlike most bacteria, whose genetic material floats, unbound, within their cells.
- This feature not only sets the newfound microbe apart from other bacteria, but also distinguishes it from other prokaryotes.
- Prokaryotes are a group of organisms with very small, simple cell structures. The group includes organisms found in the Bacteria and Archaea domains.
- The study was published in the Science magazine.
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