Bacillus anthracis
Bacillus anthracis is a gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium, 1–1.2µm in width and 3–5µm in length. It is the agent which causes anthrax.
| Bacillus anthracis | |
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| Photomicrograph of Bacillus anthracis (fuchsin-methylene blue spore stain). | |
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| Bacillus anthracis | |
Description
The bacillus lives in soils worldwide at moderate temperatures. It can be grown in aerobic or anaerobic conditions (it is a facultative anaerobe) in a medium with essential nutrients, including carbon and nitrogen sources. In 1877, this organism was the first to be shown to cause disease by Robert Koch and verified by Louis Pasteur.