Question

How does a bacterial endosperm differ from a vegetative cell of that bacterium? Your answer should consider both structure and function.

Answer 1

• Structure: a vegetative cell is gram positive , though some of the cells may stain gram negative. An endoscope has a thick spore cortex along with presence of a spire coat and an exosporium.
• Microscopic appearance is non refractive for a vegetative cell and refractive for an
• Endospore are resistant to the action of lysozyme whereas vegetative cells are sensitive to it.
• Water content in vegetative cells is high, approximately 80-90% whereas, endospore have only 10-25% of water content, that too in the core.
• Cytoplasmic ph for vegetative cells is about 7, whereas endospore has a cytoplasmic ph of about 5.5-6.0
• Endospore has a B form of DNA whereas vegetative cells has an A form
• mRNA is absent in the endospores whereas mRna is present in the vegetative cells.
• Endospores are dormant with very low enzymatic activity and no synthesis of macromolecule, whereas vegetative cells are metabolically active with macromolecule synthesis occurring.
• Primary function of the endospore is survival of the bacterial cell whereas primary function of the vegetative cell is reproduction and division.