Question

6. How does spatial structure affect competition and cooperation? This is a microbiology question.

Answer 1

spatial arrangement of different species and strains of biofilm forming bacterial within within biofilms strongly influences the benefits of cooperative and competitive phenotypes.

a. They can alter the reproductive rates of neighbouring cells.

b. some can cause change in structural and functional composition.. such as virulence.

c. as the surface-attached cells grow and divide, structures of the whole biofilm changes.

co operation :

Due to the limited movement in biofilm, clonal clusters form, as cells grow and divide, without any active adhesin.

pathogens and saprophytes harvest tissues that are consists of large polymers, which must be first digested into soluble components by secreted enzymes. These should be hydrolyzed before the import of polymers. Clostridium in a biofilm secrets enzyme to digest connective tissue and fungi helps to digest cellulose. These digested nutrients are then can be available for other cells.

Competition:

In a biofilm, there will be competition, and most capable cells will predominate, this is the process of natural selection. There is competition in nutrient uptake. and one strategy to eliminate other cells is production of antibiotics and bacteriocins.