Flagella are hair-like extensions that originate from some plant and animal sperm cells as well as from a variety of bacteria to give them movement. Some bacteria’s flagella can also serve as sensory organelles. Bacteria may have a single flagellum or several. Flagella can be seen via a variety of techniques, including:
- Electron microscopy
- Dark ground illumination
- Staining techniques
The four main flagella based on arrangement are – lophotrichous, peritrichous, monotrichous and amphitrichous. Here, let’s learn more about amphitrichous flagella.
Amphitrichous Flagella
Bacterial cells that have amphitrichous flagella have one or more flagella at the opposite ends of their cell body. Amphitrichous bacteria contain a single flagellum on each of their two opposite ends. Since only one flagellum is active at once, the bacterium can quickly change its direction by switching the flagellum in use.
Amphitrichous bacteria have more control over their movement and range of motion than monotrichous bacteria due to the position and quantity of their flagella. The flagella of monotrichous, amphitrichous, and lophotrichous bacteria are known as polar flagella because they are found on one or two polar sides of the bacterial cell body.
Examples of Amphitrichous Bacteria
Humans frequently contract opportunistic infections from Alcaligenes faecalis. It causes appendicitis, peritonitis, and meningitis. Amphitrichous bacteria such as Campylobacter jejuni is a foodborne pathogen that leads to campylobacteriosis. Some examples of amphitrichous bacteria are as follows:
- Alcaligenes faecalis
- Aquaspirillum serpens
- Nitrosomonas
- Campylobacter jejuni
- Rhodospirillum rubrum
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