Tropism of Microorganisms

Tropism of microorganisms is the ability of microorganisms to respond to external stimuli through directed growth. This allows them to find favorable conditions for life.

There are several types of tropisms in microorganisms:

  1. Chemotropism is the movement of microorganisms towards nutrients or away from toxic compounds. For example, the movement of bacteria towards a food source along a concentration gradient.

  2. Phototropism is the movement of microorganisms towards or away from light. Positive phototropism allows microbes to use light energy, negative phototropism allows microbes to avoid damage from ultraviolet radiation.

  3. Aerotropism is the movement of microorganisms towards or away from oxygen. Aerobic bacteria exhibit positive aerotropism, while anaerobic bacteria exhibit negative aerotropism.

  4. Magnetotropism is the orientation of microorganisms relative to the Earth's magnetic field. This helps maintain a certain trajectory of movement.

Tropisms allow microorganisms to survive in a wide variety of conditions, finding optimal living conditions. The study of tropisms is important for understanding the behavior and distribution of microbes.



Tropism of microorganisms is the ability to move and grow in the direction of a specific chemical or physical signal. It is an important property of microorganisms, as it allows them to adapt to different environmental conditions.

The mechanism of tropism of microorganisms is based on receptors that are located on the cell surface and are sensitive to certain signals. For example, some microorganisms have the ability to be oriented according to a magnetic field, others - according to light, and still others - in accordance with degrees.