Comments
Loading Dream Comments...
You must be logged in to write a comment - Log In
ArtistThe surface of the myxotrich membrane is densely covered with microscopic structural projections (“brackets”) organized in strict rows. Independent living organisms are mechanically embedded in each such bracket: Spirochetes (Treponema): Long, spiral‑shaped bacteria attached at their posterior end to the membrane niche of the protist. One cell can simultaneously host between 250,000 and 500,000 such bacteria. Wave synchronization: Spirochetes contract due to the rotation of their own periplasmic flagella. Due to hydrodynamic interaction, the oscillations are transmitted to neighboring bacteria along the row, forming a coordinated metachronal wave. Half a million independent prokaryotes beat in unison, transforming into a single propulsion engine that pushes a eukaryotic cell, which is enormous in comparison to their scale, forward.
Microscopic projections on a membrane house spiral bacteria that move in synchronized waves, propelling a larger cell forward like a unified engine.