Normal Microbial Flora of the Oral Cavity

The oral cavity is one of a complex, heterogeneous microbial habitat. Saliva contains microbial nutrients, but it is not an especially good growth medium because the nutrients are present in low concentration. Also the saliva contains antimicrobial substances. Saliva contains an enzyme lysozyme that cleaves glycosidic linkages in peptidoglycan present in the bacterial cell wall, … Read more

Bacterial flagella: types and structure

Introduction Strains of bacteria which are motile possess filamentous, cytoplasmic appendages protruding through cell wall called flagella. This effect screw like propulsive movements and act as organs of locomotion. They are much thinner than the flagella or cilia of eukaryotes. The flagellum is a long, thin filament, hair-like, un-branched, twisted spirally in an open, regular … Read more