Clostridium tetani By: Vincent Medina

Scientific Name Clostridium tetani

Classification Strain~ There are currently eleven identified strains of Clostridium tetani. (but I could not find any specific strains) Shape/Arrangement~ Bacillus (rod shaped), Straphylo.

Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic bacterium Metabolism Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic bacterium

Habitat Clostridium tetani colonizes the intestinal tract in humans and animals, but is also found in soil.

Adaptations Clostridium tetani bacteria feature two primary life stages, sporular and vegetative. The vegetative stage is highly anaerobic and is unable to survive any exposure to oxygen. On the other hand, the sporular form is quite hardy and can withstand oxygen and other environmental factors. Infecting wounds Clostridium tetani parasitizes its host using extracellular excretions to degrade surrounding organic material for fermentation. As with the majority of bacteria, Clostridium tetani reproduces asexually. Clostridium tetani’s growth is exponential.

Gram Negative or Positive, Endotoxin or Exotoxin Clostridium tetani is gram positive which is an exotoxin.

Function/Impact on the Environment Clostridium tentani produces a potent biological toxin, called tetanospasmin, and is the cause of tetanus, a disease characterized by painful muscular spasms that may lead to respiratory failure.

Other stuff Kingdom: Bacteria Phylum: Firmicutes Class: Clostridia Order: Clostridiales Family: Clostridiaceae Genus: Clostridium Species: C. tetani ~thick peptidoglycan cellular wall

http://images. google. com/imgres. imgurl=http://www2. cedarcrest http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/bio/hale/bioT_EID/lectures/tetanus-pathogen2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/academic/bio/hale/bioT_EID/lectures/tetanus-pathogen.html&usg=__p50sNXE7oNrlZkicMyq56XYESho=&h=227&w=333&sz=29&hl=en&start=4&itbs=1&tbnid=claRfOYqaERsRM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3DClostridium%2Btetani%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DG%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1 http://student.ccbcmd.edu/courses/bio141/lecguide/unit1/prostruct/diseases/ctetani/ctetani.html http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/unrein_bren/adaptation.htm