Observing some of my Anaeaba culture, I noticed the heterocysts that were not attached to vegetative-cell of the filament. These heterocysts seemed to have tiny "rainbow-like" water that surrounded them. Is this because of the ionization of the adjacent water?
Heterocyst are specialized nitrogen - fixing cells formed during nitrogen starvation by some filamentous cynobacteria such as Nostoc punctiforme, Anabaena Cylindrospermum . The fix nitrogen from dinitogen in the air using the enzyme nitrogenase .Heterocysts produce three additional cell walls, including one of glycolipid that forms a hydrophobic barrier to oxygen.,produce nitrogenase and other proteins involoved in nitrogen fixation, degrade photosystem 11, which produces oxygen, up - regulate glycolytic enzymes, produce proteins that scavenge any remaining oxygen. and contain polar plugs composed of cyanophycin which slows down cell - to - cell diffusion. For more information consult Https://en.m.wikipedia.org
Dear Julia,
I also observed the same during my works with cyanobacteria. I think it is due the reflection and refraction of light owing to the orientation of the heterocyst which is non-chlorophyllated, transparent and thick walled.
Jackson Achankunju , ah thank you for making this connection, and sharing it with me. I am very much a beginner with this sort of information, what any of the Researchers will share with me, I am very grateful for.
I tried to crawl through R.E. Lee's book of "Phycology" yesterday (the section on "heterocysts"). And I found where he discussed the fact that there was basically no chloroplasts left in the heterocysts (we can easily see this); but he also mentioned the thick walls (which made me wonder "are we seeing extra lipids?"); and he also mentioned how they are able to be anoxic (was this making for the "funky"/rainbow colors?).
shalom! - Juju.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Histology