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An endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by some bacteria in the phylum Bacillota. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The name "endospore" is suggestive of a spore or seed-like form ( endo means 'within'), but it is not a true spore (i.e., not an offspring).
Endospore staining is a technique used in bacteriology to identify the presence of endospores in a bacterial sample. [1] Within bacteria, endospores are protective structures used to survive extreme conditions, including high temperatures making them highly resistant to chemicals. [ 2 ]
A stained preparation of Bacillus subtilis showing endospores as green and the vegetative cell as red. The Schaeffer–Fulton stain is a technique designed to isolate endospores by staining any present endospores green, and any other bacterial bodies red. [1]
Fig1. The sporulation process of Bacillus subtilis. Bacillus subtilis is a rod-shaped, Gram-positive bacteria that is naturally found in soil and vegetation, and is known for its ability to form a small, tough, protective and metabolically dormant endospore.
It has been proposed that endospore formation has allowed for the survival of some bacteria for hundreds of millions of years (e.g. in salt crystals) [14] [15] although these publications have been questioned. [16] [17] Endospore formation is limited to several genera of gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus and Clostridium. It differs from ...
Endospore-forming bacteria can cause disease; for example, anthrax can be contracted by the inhalation of Bacillus anthracis endospores, and contamination of deep puncture wounds with Clostridium tetani endospores causes tetanus, which, like botulism, is caused by a toxin released by the bacteria that grow from the spores. [101]
Bacillus species are rod-shaped, endospore-forming aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, Gram-positive bacteria; in some species cultures may turn Gram-negative with age. The many species of the genus exhibit a wide range of physiologic abilities that allow them to live in every natural environment. Only one endospore is formed per cell.
Clostridium sporogenes is a species of Gram-positive bacteria that belongs to the genus Clostridium.Like other strains of Clostridium, it is an anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that produces oval, subterminal endospores [2] and is commonly found in soil.