As You're A Proper Phd Scientist Who Made It Through The Gauntlet Of Higher Education, I Then Assume

Stemonitis sp.

photo source-The MacroClub Project (Myxomycetes)

Slime Mold

Cell Junctions

– there are three types of junctions:      – tight      – desmosome      – gap

– tight junctions seal epithelial cells to one another

– desmosomes have “spotted” seals, where keratin filaments anchor the two cells

– gap junctions have channels to allow the passage of ions and molecules

FOTD #074 : slimy green waxcap! (gliophorus/hygrocybe graminicolor)

the slimy green waxcap is an agaric fungus from the family hygrophoraceae. it is found in australia & aotearoa :-) not much else is known about this mushroom.

the big question : can i bite it?? the edibility is unknown.

g./h. graminicolor description :

"the light green cap & stem of this small agaric are covered with a thick, slimy, glutinous coating. a waxy, grey-green, glutinous thread runs along the edges of white waxy gills. the convex cap becomes centrally depressed & ages to brown."

[images : source & source] [fungus description : source]

"GREEN BABY !! i couldn't find an exact measurement, but she's *small*. i love this mushroom so so so much<3"

millipedes eating Tubifera ferruginosa

by Bea Leiderman

Photos from my friend who is a vet tech

Watch what happens to Germs when you wash your hands with Soap at microscopic level. 🔬 The Soap molecules surround germ cells and disrupt their cell walls, causing them to burst.

Germ cells are surrounded by a cell wall that protects them from the environment. This cell wall is made up of a layer of peptidoglycan, which is a polymer of amino acids and sugars. Soap molecules are made up of two parts: a hydrophobic (water-fearing) tail and a hydrophilic (water-loving) head. When soap is added to water, the hydrophobic tails group together and the hydrophilic heads face outward, forming micelles. These micelles can surround germ cells and the hydrophobic tails can then disrupt the cell walls, causing the cells to burst.

The hydrophobic tails of the soap molecules can disrupt the cell wall in two ways. First, they can bind to the peptidoglycan molecules and weaken the bonds between them. Second, they can create holes in the cell wall. Once the cell wall is disrupted, the germ cells lose their internal contents and die.

It is important to note that soap only works to kill germ cells that are surrounded by a cell wall. Germ cells that do not have a cell wall, such as viruses, are not affected by soap.

The size of the soap micelles is important. Micelles that are too small will not be able to surround the germ cells. Micelles that are too large will not be able to penetrate the cell walls.

The concentration of soap is also important. A higher concentration of soap will be more effective at killing germ cells.

The temperature of the water can also affect the effectiveness of soap. Soap is more effective at killing germ cells in warm water than in cold water.

I hope this post has helped you understand the importance of handwashing and why doctors always ask you to do it regularly. Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs and stay healthy. So please, wash your hands often and help keep yourself and others safe!

Thank you for reading this post. I hope you found it informative and helpful. Please share it with your friends and family so they can learn about the importance of handwashing too. 😊🙏

i didn’t notice while i was taking this photo of some Cortinarius sp. mushrooms, but creeping up their stipes is some plasmodial slime mold !! i wish i had realised and gotten a better shot of it

Compressed Know-How: General Classifications used in Microbiology

Taxonomy - It is the systematic arrangement and classification of organisms into related groups

It can be divided into Kingdom and System Classifications.

Kingdom Classification used today is the 5 Kingdom formulated by Robert Whittaker. It contains the following: Animalia, Plantae, Protista (protozoa + algae), Fungi and Monera (bacteria).

Criteria used for the 5 Kingdom Classification:

Cell Type (Prokaryote or Eukaryote)

Cellular Organization (Unicellular or Multicellular)

Nutritional Type (based on Food Acquisition, Energy Source and Carbon Source)

System Classification can be either through Phenetic or Phylogenetic classifications.

Phenetic (Taximetrics) are based on their observable traits or overall similarities.

Eg. Morphology of bacteria, Staining reactions and Metabolic rate of bacteria.

Phylogenetic (Phyletic) is based on the evolutionary development and genetic composition. This will include the familiar taxonomic levels:

Domain

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

Rules in properly naming bacteria:

In the Binomial System of Nomenclature, it involves the Genus' name, then species epithet eg. Staphylococcus aureus

The name should always be italicized or underlined

Genus' name: 1st letter is capitalized, and the only name that can be abbreviated. (S. aureus)

Species epithet: 1st letter is a small capital letter, or it can be all capitalized (STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS)

Common names of bacteria, as listed below: