Oscillatoria
Oscillatoria is a genus of very important sugar making microscopic creatures
| Oscillatoria | |
|---|---|
| Oscillatoria princeps | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Cyanobacteria |
| Class: | Cyanophyceae |
| Order: | Oscillatoriales |
| Family: | Oscillatoriaceae |
| Genus: | Oscillatoria Vaucher ex Gomont, 1822 |
| Type species | |
| Oscillatoria princeps Vaucher ex Gomont | |
| Species | |
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See list in body text | |
filamentous cyanobacterium which is often found in freshwater environments, such as hot springs, and appears blue-green. Its name refers to the oscillating motion of its filaments as they slide against each other to position the colony facing a light source. Oscillatoria reproduces by fragmentation, facilitated by dead cells which separate a filament into separate sections, or hormogonia, which then grow. Oscillatoria uses photosynthesis to survive and reproduce. Each filament of oscillatoria consists of trichome which is made up of rows of cells. The tip of the trichome oscillates like a pendulum. In reproduction, it takes place by vegetative means only. Usually the filament breaks into a number of fragments called hormogonia. Each hormogonium consist of one or more cells and grow into a filament by cell division in one direction.
Oscillatoria are the subject of research into the natural production of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), an antioxidant, food additive and industrial chemical.
Cyclic peptides called venturamides, which may have anti-malarial activity, have been isolated from bacteria in this genus. They are the first peptides with this activity to have been found in cyanobacteria.
Serinolamide A is a cannabinoid structurally related to Anandamide that has been found to occur in Oscillatoria species.
As a result of recent genetic analyses, several new genera were erected from this genus, e.g. Tenebriella.