Dirtland


Bacillus thuringeinsis



Click here to see a larger image (JPEG) of this microbe.

 

Kingdom: Eubacterium
Scientific Name: Bacillus thuringeinsis
Image Courtesy of: Pankratz, Stu
Image Width: 4 microns
Image Technology: TEM

This bacterium is used as a pesticide to kill insects. This is a cross section of several spores of the bacterium, Bacillus thuringeinsis. The round structures are spores, which are surrounded by cell wall of the bacterium. The angular dark object at the lower right corner is the B.t. toxin (short for Bacillus thuringeinsis toxin). This crystal toxin is poisonous to many different insects that eat them, including moths and flies and mosquitos.