Roshan Sajjad 08/08/2020
Exquisitely minute yet intelligent. Self-serving through strategy. Food for thought?
What is an Endospore and how can we use it to reflect on something so deeply striking like hardships?
An Endospore is a structure produced via sporulation from its vegetative cell. This vegetative cell is the ‘active’ form of either a bacterial or an algal cell enabling it to carry out its function whether it be for the decomposition or the recycling of nutrients to nourish the food web (Ecology of Fungi, n.d). Sporulation first starts off from the reproducing vegetative cell that usually divides to grow and reproduce as a living microorganism. However, once there is an ‘exhaustion’ of nutrients or there is something limiting it’s growth this stimulates the vegetative cell to proceed into a stage of ‘dormancy’, where it is alive but not growing. This is an exceptionally clever concept to preserve cells and prevent cell death by proceeding into a ‘self-defense’ mode, something that is common for all living matter.
Figure 1
Firstly: the vegetative cell divides to form a prespore, which is then engulfed by the mother cell (what was present initially). Following this, the cortex and spore coat is formed, Calcium ions are taken in and important molecules known as SASPs and Dipicolinic acid are formed, contributing to high resistance properties of spores (A.Meaney et al, 2016). This is then left to mature and eventually cell lysis takes place where through it, the now formed Endospore is released (Madigan.M et al, 2014). This free endospore then when exposed to favourable conditions goes through a process known as Germination, undertaken to convert the produced Endospore into a whole new vegetative cell occurring within an instantaneous 90 minutes! (Austincc, n.d.)
What can be found from this captivating mechanism is how the cell so beautifully proceeds into ‘self-defense’ mode once signals such as a nutrient inadequacy, environmental disruptions etc are recieved. Once the cell is aware of this, it decides it is most safe to preserve what is already present until the scarcity is resolved. This is done by forming a resistant and tough endospore to help it survive through this. It is a stage of paused growth yet is also a stage of pre-preparation of future growth. This is in fact very relatable to hardships people may face day-to-day.
Take an example of a student getting bullied at school either because of their appearance or the way they behave. Initially that individual will grow tough endospores as a means of protecting oneself such as, bitterness, ignorance, and avoidance. These experiences which are actually quite common at school however go on to grow and provide this individual a level of qualities such as self acceptance, confidence, an understanding of other individuals and most importantly self-love. We can say that these endospores have germinated into something so beautiful that once they do a new defined trait i.e a new vegetative cell is formed. With this trait or new cell they continue to forever blossom or forever divide and provide oneself grace and love. As a result of this very hardship one can grow on to be a loving and open-minded individual who, from their own hardships can grow on to learn and love OTHER people who may also face similar issues. Another beautiful example that can be applicable in this context in science is a shell-producing mollusk for example an oyster. The oyster may face a phase where sand can get stuck inside of it or is rattled by a tiny microorganism that can disrupt the cells of the mantle (NatgeoWild, 2016) but what is the response? As a defense mechanism, a fluid is produced by the oyster to coat this irritant. Several layers are formed and deposited forming a ‘nacre’ and eventually over a period of time a glistening pearl is produced (British Pearl Association, n.d). The oyster uses this very sand or in a sense the irritant to develop an elegant pearl. How lovely is that?
So what can be learnt after all this being said? How can we reflect on our own daily hardships? Well, no matter what your hardship is, don't let it overcome you, don’t let it kill something inside of you. If the vegetative cell did NOT go into its dormant stage when there was a warning signal, it would eventually die. But, the beauty of nature is that microorganisms have a ‘self-defence’ mode ready to be activated when necessary. Whatever your trial may be, whether it is a health struggle, relationships, barriers in achieving your dream, whatever it may be - learn to not let it lose hope in you. If you would naturally go into your ‘self-defense’ mode or if you would need to induce that on to yourself such as: taking a break, resting or getting spiritual- learn to embrace it, because through passing your dormant stage, you will realise that you will come out being so revitalised with new and fruitful traits that will only serve to better you. The Endospores that grow within you only germinate to define you.
References:
A.Meaney et al, 2016
‘The role of small acid-soluble proteins (SASPs) in protection of spores of Clostridium botulinum against nitrous acid’, International Journal of Food Microbiology, Volume 216, 4 January 2016, Pages 25-30, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168160515301112#:~:text=SASPs%20have%20two%20main%20functions,outgrowth%20of%20the%20germinated%20spore. Last accessed at: 07/08/2020
Austincc, n.d. Welcome to Microbugz - Endospore Stain, https://www.austincc.edu/microbugz/endospore_stain.php#:~:text=The%20normally%2Dgrowing%20cell%20that,vegetative%20cell%20within%2090%20minutes., Last accessed at: 07/08/2020
British Pearl Association, n.d
‘How is a pearl formed?’, https://britishpearlassociation.co.uk/how-is-a-pearl-formed/, Last accessed at 08/08/2020
Ecology of Fungi, n.d
Fungi Habitat, Decomposition, and Recycling
Figure 1: Sporulation cycle
Microscopemaster, n.d, https://www.microscopemaster.com/sporulation.html, Last accessed at: 07/08/2020
Madigan.M et al, 2014
Brock Biology of Microorganisms global edition, Fourteen edition, Pearson, US
NatgeoWild, 2016, ‘Formation of a Pearl | Secret Life of Pearls’’, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m07OvPEoR6g
Last accessed at: 07/08/2020
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