Bacterivore

Bacterivores are free-living, generally heterotrophic organisms, exclusively microscopic^{[dubious – discuss]}, which obtain energy and nutrients primarily or entirely from the consumption of bacteria. Many species of amoeba are bacterivores, as well as other types of protozoans. Commonly, all species of bacteria will be prey, but spores of some species, such as Clostridium perfringens, will never be prey, because of their cellular attributes.

In Microbiology[]

Bacterivores can sometimes be a problem in microbiology studies. For instance, when scientists seek to assess microorganisms in samples from the environment (such as freshwater), the samples will often be contaminated with bacterivores, which will interfere with the growing of bacteria for study.

Adding cycloheximide can inhibit the growth of bacterivores without affecting some bacterial species^[1] but it was shown to inhibit the growth of some anaerobe prokaryotes.^[2]

Examples[]

Caenorhabditis elegans
Ceriodaphnia quadrangula
Diaphanosoma brachyura
Vorticella
Paramecium
Many species of Protozoa

References[]

^ Ennis, H. L.; Lubin, M. (1964-12-11). "Cycloheximide: Aspects of Inhibition of Protein Synthesis in Mammalian Cells". Science. 146 (3650): 1474–1476. Bibcode:1964Sci...146.1474E. doi:10.1126/science.146.3650.1474. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 14208575. S2CID 22809638.
^ Tremaine, Sarah C. Mills, Aaron L. (1987). "Inadequacy of the Eucaryote Inhibitor Cycloheximide in Studies of Protozoan Grazing on Bacteria at the Freshwater-Sediment Interface". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 53 (8): 1969–72. doi:10.1128/AEM.53.8.1969-1972.1987. OCLC 679536002. PMC 204037. PMID 16347423.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Davies, Cheryl M. et al.: Survival of Fecal Microorganisms in Marine and Freshwater Sediments, 1995, PDF

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Feeding behaviours

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General	Abiotic component Abiotic stress Behaviour Biogeochemical cycle Biomass Biotic component Biotic stress Carrying capacity Competition Ecosystem Ecosystem ecology Ecosystem model Keystone species List of feeding behaviours Metabolic theory of ecology Productivity Resource
Producers	Autotrophs Chemosynthesis Chemotrophs Foundation species Mixotrophs Myco-heterotrophy Mycotroph Organotrophs Photoheterotrophs Photosynthesis Photosynthetic efficiency Phototrophs Primary nutritional groups Primary production
Consumers	Apex predator Bacterivore Carnivores Chemoorganotroph Foraging Generalist and specialist species Intraguild predation Herbivores Heterotroph Heterotrophic nutrition Insectivore Mesopredators Mesopredator release hypothesis Omnivores Optimal foraging theory Planktivore Predation Prey switching
Decomposers	Chemoorganoheterotrophy Decomposition Detritivores Detritus
Microorganisms	Archaea Bacteriophage Lithoautotroph Lithotrophy Marine microorganisms Microbial cooperation Microbial ecology Microbial food web Microbial intelligence Microbial loop Microbial mat Microbial metabolism Phage ecology
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Processes	Ascendency Bioaccumulation Cascade effect Climax community Competitive exclusion principle Consumer–resource interactions Copiotrophs Dominance Ecological network Ecological succession Energy quality Energy Systems Language f-ratio Feed conversion ratio Feeding frenzy Mesotrophic soil Nutrient cycle Oligotroph Paradox of the plankton Trophic cascade Trophic mutualism Trophic state index
Defense, counter	Animal coloration Anti-predator adaptations Camouflage Deimatic behaviour Herbivore adaptations to plant defense Mimicry Plant defense against herbivory Predator avoidance in schooling fish

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List of ecology topics

Bacterivore

Contents

In Microbiology[]

Examples[]

See also[]

References[]