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Major Characteristics Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

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I. Description of P. aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is characterized by aerobic, gram negative, motile, non-spore forming bacilli (rods).1 A trait that differentiates P. aeruginosa from other gram-negative bacteria is the fact that it produces indophenol oxidase, which is an enzyme that renders them positive in an oxidase test.1 The type of flagella this organism is known to possess is called a polar flagella, meaning a single flagellum at one pole of the rod.1 This means the motility of the organism is quite limited and can travel only in one direction. In spite of this, the single flagellum, as well as the presence of pili, are major contributions to the motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.1 The Pseudomonas genus, the genus from which P. aeruginosa originates from, is known to be an environmental bacteria; hence why this organism is very common in soil, water, and even fresh fruits and vegetables.1 A common characteristic of environmental bacteria, P. aeruginosa being of no exception, is the ways in which they grow. P. aeruginosa grows and thrives in biofilms which are groups of adhering bacteria in aqueous environments. These biofilms eventually begin to produce a slimy substance resembling glue which allows them to spread and stick to other materials/locations. Not only does P. aeruginosa require minimal nutritional requirements, but the entire Pseudomonas genus type does as well.1 Due to P. aeruginosa (usually) only needing acetate as carbon and ammonia as nitrogen,

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