Magnetotactic Bacteria - The Living Magnets

Some bacteria are found to have magnetic property inside them and they are called magnetotactic bacteria. Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum was first found in pond water by microbiologist R.P. Blakemore in 1975. The bacteria is able to use Earth’s magnetic field to orient itself. This is accomplished using special organelles called magnetosomes. Magnetotactic bacteria are found living in mud and brackish water. Most of them have single flagellum, but Aquaspirillum magnetotatum have two flagella. Magnetotactic bacteria don't like oxygen very much. They will move away from areas with high oxygen and toward areas with low or no oxygen. In an aquatic environment, the level of oxygen decreases as one moves deeper into the water. So, magnetotactic bacteria like to live in the deeper parts of their aquatic environments.

Experiment to prove their Magnetic potential :

• On to a bucket, few inches of mud from pond and enough pond water were poured in to fill the rest of the bucket.
• Covered the bucket and stored it in dark room and kept it in for a month.
• After a month, a beaker full of water was taken and placed it in a magnet against the outside of the glass of the beaker.
• Allowed it to stand for a day or two.
• Whitish spots were formed on the glass of the magnets end.
• With a pipette, removed the white or cloudy appearance and examined the magnetotactic bacteria under the microscope.