Lophotricha

LOPHOTRICHA (from Greek lophos-bunch, crest and thrix-hair), a general name for bacteria possessing a bunch of flagella at one pole of the body, for example, Bacillus syncyaneus, some putrefactive bacteria, and others. Often in L. all the flagella of the bunch are connected almost throughout their length, forming as it were one large flagellum, and only by splitting the very end of such a flagellum can its composite character be determined; such forms may be mistaken for monotrichs possessing only one polar flagellum. During transverse division of L., one half of the cell retains the maternal bunch of flagella, while the other forms on its free pole a new bunch even before the end of the division process, which then proceeds to the second of the daughter individuals. This circumstance led some authors to establish another group of bacteria—Amphitricha—with flagella on both poles of the cell. However, the independence of this type of flagellar apparatus is doubtful. Most likely this is only a stage of division of L.: after dividing, the amphitrichial bacterium again becomes a lophotrich. Lophotrichia usually move in a straight line, sometimes making slight oscillatory movements. In systematic relation, L. do not constitute anything whole, occurring in various genera and groups of bacteria. Thus, according to the system of bacteria adopted by A. Fischer, individual representatives of L. are found among the families Bacillaceae, Spirillaceae, and Trichobacteriaceae.