Bacteria, which are classified as microorganisms, are usually measured with a micrometer, which corresponds to one thousandth of a millimeter. While almost none of the bacteria can be seen with the naked eye, there are still a few types that can be seen with the naked eye. For example, the bacterium ‘thiomargarita namibinensis’ can be about half a millimeter long and can be seen with the naked eye.
Today, scientists came up with an example of a much larger genus of bacteria. It was observed that a bacterium named ‘Thiomargarita magnifica’, which is in the same family as the bacterium above, can reach a size of one centimeter. The bacterium was found on rotting mangrove tree leaves buried underwater in the French Caribbean.
It hasn’t reached its greatest form yet.
Bacteria had an average cell length of 2 micrometers, while magnifica had a cell length of about 9,000 micrometers, or close to 1 centimeter. Moreover, the magnifica was not even at its tallest compared to the scientific people. According to scientists, bacteria can grow up to two centimeters in length.
On the other hand, Thiomargarita magnifica, which gained the title of ‘biggest bacterium’, remained far from achieving the title of the largest single-celled organism ever discovered. While magnifica was 5,000 times larger than most bacteria, it was 10 times larger than the largest single-celled organism ever discovered, magnifica. The bacterium in question was a kind of algae called Caulerpa taxifolia.
So how does such a large bacterium survive?
Until recently, the scientific world argued that these creatures could not reach a visible size due to the way bacteria interact with their environment and generate power. The examinations on Magnifica provided a great deal of information about the bacteria that reached this size. It was revealed that Magnifica has an extensive network of membranes that can generate power, so it doesn’t rely solely on its surface to absorb nutrients through the cell.
Moreover, magnifica keeps its cell’s DNA in small bags with a membrane called “pepin”, unlike multiple bacteria, whose single cell contains the genetic material freely floating. This system is known as a feature of the more complex cells that actually make up our bodies, animals and plants.
The research was published on the Science on June 23.