Bacterial Motility and Flagella

What is the ability of an organism to move by itself called?

Almost all spiral bacteria and about half of the bacilli are motile.

Which of the following are types of bacterial motility?

What comprises the components of flagella?

What is the movement of flagella called when it rotates counterclockwise?

Which of the following tests are used to determine bacterial motility?

The medium used in soft-agar stabbing is called ______.

The wet mount technique is more complex to prepare than the hanging drop technique.

Match the type of bacterial motility with their definitions:

What happens to the growth in the soft-agar stabbing method if the organism is motile?

Bacterial Motility

The ability of an organism to move by itself is called motility.
Almost all spiral bacteria and about half of the bacilli are motile.
Types of bacterial motility include swimming, gliding, and twitching.
Flagella consist of a filament, hook, and basal body.
Counterclockwise rotation of flagella causes a run movement.
Soft-agar stabbing and wet mount are common tests to determine bacterial motility.
The medium used in soft-agar stabbing is called semi-solid agar.
The hanging drop technique is simpler to prepare than the wet mount technique.

Types of Bacterial Motility

Swimming motility is powered by flagella and involves the movement of bacteria through liquid environments.
Gliding motility is a slow, smooth movement on solid surfaces, often without the use of flagella.
Twitching motility is a jerky, short-distance movement on solid surfaces, mediated by pili.

Soft-Agar Stabbing Technique

In the soft-agar stabbing technique, motile bacteria will grow outward from the stab line, resulting in turbidity throughout the medium.
If an organism is non-motile, its growth will remain confined to the stab line.

Test your knowledge on bacterial motility and the different types of flagella arrangements. This quiz covers key concepts such as chemotaxis and the structural components of flagella. Ideal for students studying microbiology or cell biology.