Definition
noun
An obligate anaerobic rod shaped and gram-positive bacterium which appears to looks like a drumstick that is very sensitive to heat and cannot endures the presence of oxygen which rely on fermentation for survival.
Supplement
Clostridium tetani has a plasmid and rotary flagella that randomly assorted around the cell for locomotion. It also contains a thick walled of multi-layers peptidoglycan and an inner membrane where it able to synthesize ATP using sodium motive force and fermentation which relies only on amino acids breakdown by various enzymes to form pyruvate which in turn fermented into lactase or into acetyl CoA.
Clostridium tetani formed spores which is highly resistant to antiseptics where it able to enters the body through an open wounds and germinate inside. It is abundantly found on different environments including damp areas, soil and sediment where in human mostly localized in the intestinal tracts and become pathogenic.
Clostridium tetani implicated in tetanus wherein spores of this bacterium able to enter through laceration, burns and open wounds that provides environment to spread or germinate in the presence of anaerobic conditions in which spores generates toxins known as tetanospasmin that is detrimental to human because it travel throughout the body via nervous system to reach the spinal cord and interferes neurotransmitters, thus blocking the brain signals leads to spasms, unwanted muscle contraction and severe seizures.
Scientific classifications:
Kingdom: Bacteria
Phylum: Firmicutes
Class: Clostridia
Order: Clostridiales
Family: Clostridiaceae
Genus: Clostridium
Species: Clostridium tetani
See also:
• Bacteria
• Tetanus
Dictionary > Clostridium tetani
