Rhizobia's Name (Taylor)

 

 

The word Rhizobia is from the Greek words "Rhiza" which means roots and "Bios" which means life. It is a perfect name because the rhizobia gives life to the plant by producing nitrogen to it.

 

 

What Is Rhizobia? (Taylor)

 

 

Rhizobia is not that hard to find. All you have to do is go outside! Rhizobia is a bacteria that is found in soil. It helps fix Nitrogen in the roots of plants. What happens is that 78% of the world is made up of Nitrogen (N2), and about 22% is made up of Oxygen. Plants need Nitrogen but they can only take it in a certian form. Plants need a special Nitrogen thats NH3. and what Rhizobia does, it changes the Nitrogen so that the plants can use it. For example, if you had a peanut plant, without the Nitrogen, it would be harder for the plant to survive, and it wouldn't produce as many peanuts. Without Rhizobia, the whole Nitrogen Cycle would be completely messed up. So when Rhizobia gives the NH3 to the plants, in return, the plants give the Rhizobia carbon dioxide and energy.

 

 

 

Interesting Facts About Rhizobia (Taylor)

 

 

Rhizobia is found in dirt! Dirt is EVERYWHERE! How cool is that?

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo/zdrr0101.html

(video by katie)

Gram Positive or Gram Negative? (Taylor)

 

 

There are two kinds of bacteria. Gram Positive, and Gram Negative. The difference is in the structure of the cell walls.To find out whether a bacteria is Gram Positive or Negative you must do a Gram Stain Test. This test can tells us which group a bacteria is in. For example, when you go to the doctor, and you get tested for Strep throat, they swab your tonsils and put it in a peatree dish. They let the bacteria grow, and then do a Gram Stain Test. In a Gram Stain test you add a crystal violet dye, then wash it in alcohol. When the bacteria is Gram Positive, it will turn a dark blue. And if it is Gram Negative, it will turn a pinkish red color. The results of this test can show whether you have strep or not. This test also can tell us what antibiotics can kill or help cure the bacteria. Rhizobia is usually Gram Negative.

 

Nutritional Needs (Katie)

 

 

Rhizobia are chemoautotrophic. Which is is a organism that obtain energy by oxidatoin of electron donating molecules in their enviroments. They do not get their energy from light because it is covered by dirt. They also get their energy from inorganic oxidation.

 

 

 

History of Rhizobia (Katie)

 

The first species Rhizobia was found in 1889 by The Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. It was called R. leguminosarum. The ARS had already classified a few species of legume nitrogen fixing bacteria. Through the years scientists have used different methods and they have put different bacteria into the Rhizobia genus.

 

 

Rhizobia's Habitat  (Katie)

 

 

Rhizobia's habitat is around the roots of plants. The area near the roots of plants is called the rhizosphere. The rhizosphere is a huge habitat because plant's root systems are very long. Because, the rhizobia benefit the plant they sometimes live inside the plants root. 

 

Rhizobia's Structure (Taylor)

 

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0100e/a0100e03.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0100e/a0100e0d.htm&h=230&w=400&sz=7&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=GwPtCfFpYxRldM:&tbnh=71&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRhizobia%2BStructure%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

 

This is a picture of Rhizobia. The Structure of Rhizobia is found in Nod Factors. And its structure is all about interacting with roots of plants. Which is called Root Noudle.