Table of Contents
What is Anabaena?
Anabaena is a genus of filamentous cyanobacteria. These bacteria can form colonies of cells that are either single cells or joined together in long filaments. The cells are photosynthetic and produce oxygen gas as a by-product of photosynthesis.
Genome Structure
In genetics, genome structure is the organization of the genetic material of a cell. The genetic material is composed of DNA, and the DNA is organized into chromosomes. Chromosomes are composed of DNA, and DNA is composed of nucleotides. A nucleotide is composed of a base, a sugar, and a phosphate. The base is either adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), or thymine (T). The sugar is deoxyribose, and the phosphate is either a phosphate group (PO 4 ) or a pyrophosphate group (PPO 4 ). The base, sugar, and phosphate of a nucleotide are all connected by covalent bonds. The order of the nucleotides in DNA determines the sequence of the amino acids in a protein.
Nitrogen Fixation by Anabaena
Nitrogen fixation is the process of converting atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3). This process is carried out by certain bacteria, called nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
One common nitrogen-fixing bacteria is Anabaena. Anabaena can fix nitrogen by using the enzyme nitrogenase. Nitrogenase converts N2 into two ammonia molecules (NH3).
Anabaena is found in aquatic environments, such as ponds and lakes. It can fix nitrogen in the presence of oxygen, but it also has the ability to fix nitrogen in the absence of oxygen, using a process called anaerobic nitrogen fixation.
Anabaena Variabilis
Anabaena variabilis is a species of filamentous cyanobacterium. It is a photosynthetic prokaryote that fixates nitrogen gas from the air and converts it into a form that plants can use. It is found in many different types of aquatic environments, including fresh water, salt water, and soil. It is a motile bacterium with a single polar flagellum. It forms colonies that are either filamentous or spherical. The cells of the colony are either motile or non-motile. Anabaena variabilis is a nitrogen-fixing bacterium, meaning that it can convert atmospheric nitrogen gas into a form that plants can use. This is an important process, because plants cannot use nitrogen gas directly, but require it to be converted into a form that they can use.
