biology

Magnetospirillum

Magnetospirillum is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Magnetospirillum rather than just read about it. In short: Magnetospirillum is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic genus of magnetotactic bacteria, first isolated from pond water by the microbiologist R. P.

Key takeaways

Magnetospirillum belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Magnetospirillum to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Magnetospirillum from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Magnetospirillum is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic genus of magnetotactic bacteria, first isolated from pond water by the microbiologist R. P. Blakemore in 1975. They have a spiral (helical) shape and are propelled by a polar flagellum at each end of their cells. The three main species identified are M. magnetotacticum strain MS-1, M. griphiswaldense strain MSR-1, and M. magneticum strain AMB-1.

Habitat The first discovered magnetotactic bacteria came from various environments including seawater, lakes, ponds, silt and soils in 1975 – including Magnetospirillum. The typical habitat of Magnetospirillum species consists of shallow fresh water and sediments, characterized by low concentrations of oxygen for growth (microaerophilic) where they live in the upper portion of the sediment (oxic/anoxic interface) and prefer an oxygen gradient of around 1–3%.

Magnetotaxis Probably the most peculiar characteristic of Magnetospirillum species is their capacity to orient themselves according to Earth's magnetic field, magnetotaxis. However, they are also impacted by artificial magnetic fields. This is achieved through the presence of special organelles called magnetosomes in the bacterium's cytoplasm. Because the magnetosomes in Magnetospirillum are arranged in chains, the bacteria are able to move with magnetic fields to find a favorable growth environment. However, species also resort to aerotaxis, to remain in favorable O2 concentration conditions. When the bacteria ingest iron, proteins inside their cells interact with it to produce tiny crystals of the mineral magnetite, the most magnetic mineral on Earth. Purification of magnetosomes is accomplished by use of a magnetic separation column after disruption of the cell membrane. If a detergent is used on purified magnetosomes, they tend to agglomerate rather than staying in chain form. Due to the high quality of the single-domain magnetic crystals, a commercial interest has developed in the bacteria. The crystals are thought to have the potential to produce magnetic tapes and magnetic target drugs.

Species Magnetospirillum bellicus Magnetospirillum caucaseum Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum—isolated from microaerobic zones of freshwater sediments. Differing from other chemoheterotrophs; the bacterium produces higher amounts of chelator in response to high iron concentrations. Magnetospirillum marisnigri Magnetospirillum moscoviense Magnetospirillum magneticum Magnetospirillum sp. MSM (7 strains) - collected from an Iowan freshwater pond. Magnetospirillum sp. MGT-1

Potential Applications Due to the presence of magnetotaxis and magnetosomes within Magnetospirillum, some species have been studied in how they may be beneficial for use in a wide range of different fields such as those with medicinal and engineering practices. One example is the recent research about how their magnetic properties could potentially introduce a new way of treating wastewater contaminated with heavy metals or be used for tumor hyperthermia due to their coupling abilities. However, it is a challenge to begin to test and apply their unique abilities because of the difficulty with growing large amounts of Magnetospirillum cells and magnetosomes – this could be due to most species being microaerophilic and having specific O2 concentration requirements.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Magnetospirillum

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Magnetospirillum claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Magnetospirillum before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Magnetospirillum ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Magnetospirillum

In research: Magnetospirillum appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Magnetospirillum in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Magnetospirillum is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bacteria genera, Magnetoreception, Rhodospirillales, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Magnetospirillum outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Magnetospirillum in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Magnetospirillum means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Magnetospirillum out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Magnetospirillum in simple terms?

Magnetospirillum is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic genus of magnetotactic bacteria, first isolated from pond water by the microbiologist R. P.

Why does Magnetospirillum matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Magnetospirillum?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Magnetospirillum.