Natronococcus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Natronococcus |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Unrecognized taxon (fix): | Natronococcus |
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| Natronococcus occultus Tindall et al. 1984
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Natronococcus is a type of tiny living thing called an archaea (say: ar-KEE-uh). It belongs to a group of archaea known as the Natrialbaceae family. These amazing microbes are special because they can live in very salty and very alkaline (basic) places.
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What is Natronococcus?
Natronococcus is a fascinating microorganism that can survive in extreme environments. It's related to other microbes like Halobacterium. Scientists are very interested in studying Natronococcus to learn about the special enzymes it uses to live in such tough conditions. Enzymes are like tiny tools that help living things do important jobs inside their cells.
How Natronococcus Works
Cell Structure and How it Eats
Natronococcus is a heterotrophic organism. This means it can't make its own food, so it gets energy by eating other things, like sugars. It's also an aerobic organism, which means it needs oxygen to grow and live. It can even take nitrogen from certain amino acids and change nitrates into nitrites.
These tiny cells are shaped like little balls, called coccoid, and are about 1 to 2 micrometers wide. That's super small! They don't move around on their own (they are non-motile). You might find them alone, in pairs, or in small, irregular groups. When they grow together, they form pale brown, round colonies.
Its Genetic Makeup
The main part of Natronococcus's genetic material (its chromosome) has a specific makeup. It also has a smaller, separate piece of DNA called a plasmid, which is about 144 kbp long (kbp stands for kilobase pairs, a way to measure DNA length).
Where Natronococcus Lives
One type, N. occultus, was found in a very salty lake called Lake Magadi. This archaea loves environments that are super salty, with 8% to 30% NaCl (that's table salt!). It grows best when the salt level is around 22%.
It also likes places that are very alkaline, with a pH between 8.5 and 11. The perfect pH for it is about 9.5. And when it comes to temperature, Natronococcus can live in temperatures from 20 to 50 degrees Celsius, but it's happiest at about 40 degrees Celsius.
How Scientists Study Natronococcus
Scientists use special ways to figure out how different living things are related. For Natronococcus, they look at its DNA to understand its family tree. This helps them place it correctly in the big family of all living things.
See also
- List of Archaea genera
