Microorganisms balls

2003/02/26 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Mikrobiologia

In the coastal mud of the North Sea of Germany, researchers at the University of Oldenburg have discovered that three different types of microorganisms are collected forming balls. This ball-shaped structure is very complex and is, according to scientists, one of the most complex structures that form microorganisms.

The balls consist of cyanobacteria, algae and diatoms. They do not meet all at once, but are grouped into specific orders and locations. Once the ball is formed, they have a symbiotic relationship. Some cyanobacteria capture nitrogen from the air, while diatoms provide solar energy for food production, feeding between both bacteria, in exchange for contributing to the formation and maintenance of the structure.

Photo: C. Palinska