posted 24 February 2005 10:52
This guy/gal has a great site.Life phases and morphology of spirochetes
Morphology Simplified- The words "cyst" and "bleb" are interchangeable in regards to lyme spirochetes.
Same thing. In some of the older literature in particular, cysts are also called "granular" forms. Same thing. People in the Marshal Protocol camp also tend to call them "granular" forms. All this tends to confuse everyone, not just you and I.
Although the terms "egg" and "larvae" are not used in describing bacteria, these commonly used biology terms are appropriate.
These terms may not be correct here to some microbiologists but thinking of them is useful in understanding what the heck these studies are talking about.
Young spirochetes have been observed and documented as emerging from cyst forms. I call the cyst forms "eggs" when describing them to someone. You can call cyst forms whatever you like, but that's what at least some of them are.
Reproductive forms serving the function of eggs. Eggs! Yep, that's right. Eggs. ""L" form variants" or "Young Spirochetes" have been observed and documented emerging from cyst forms.
You can see a great family picture of well formed little spirochete babies safe and snug inside their cozy transparent egg on the homepage of this website, along with a picture of a parent carrying it's slimey little egg cases around.
I wouldn't go so far as to use the term "Larvae" for "L" forms though. They might not be very different from the adults. I don't think anyone knows yet.
Also I wonder if it is possible if some of the cysts serve the function of hibernation-like chambers for adults. I haven't seen any direct observational statements that spell that out specifically, that adults not hatchlings sometimes emerge from the eggs.
There are references to "adult spiral forms" emerging, but it's not clear to me at least, that the person observing this is differentiating "L" forms from adult Spiral forms. Some observers see them as the same.
Or maybe the adults don't use cyst forms to hibernate in, maybe when adults die off the eggs all just delay "hatching" until conditions are right and it's as simple as that. I hope so.
Morphology, or changing form, is not unusual in nature. Think of the life stages of butterflies or frogs. The lyme bacteria (a spirochete bacteria) has a simpler life cycle than either of those; Cyst (egg) to "L" form (just emerged or "hatched"), then to Spiral form (adult).
Not too complex. For an example of real complexity, do a google for the life cycle of Babesia!
B.b. bacteria also "exchange genetic material". In other words- they mate. Don't ask me how- I've never watched it myself. Are they male and female or hermaphrodites? I don't know.
I don't know if anyone knows. But they don't just reproduce by splitting in two. Nope, they mate and lay all their eggs in you, the little buggers
GreatSite
[This message has been edited by treepatrol (edited 25 February 2005).]