Pasteuria ramosa is a gram-positive, endospore-forming bacterium that is a pathogen that can only grow inside a host. P. ramosa is a bacterial parasite of the cladocerans Daphnia pulex and D. magna (Sayre et al., 1977). Transmission from host to host is within the endospore stage where those spores attaches to the antennae of Daphnia. This species of Pasteuria is named after Louis Pasteur who was born in Dole France 1822 and later to become educated with a doctorate in 1847. Pasteur begin with studying fermentation and pasteurization, which led to starting the Germ theory that adopted a related view on the cause of diseases. He didn’t fully start engaging in studies of disease until 1870’s, Pasteur began expanding on the knowledge of anthrax and eventually help produces a vaccine. Pasteur’s career shows that he was a great experimenter, less into with the theory of disease and immune response than with dealing directly with diseases by helping to create new vaccines.
References:
“Louis Pasteur’(2017) Science History Instiute. Retrieved 22 January 2019, from https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/louis-pasteur
Sayre, R. M., W. P. Wergin, and R. E. Davis.1977. “Occurrence in Monia rectirostris (Cladocera: Daphnidae) of a parasite morphologically similar to Pasteuria ramosa (Metchnikoff, 1888).” Canadian journal of microbiology. 23(11), 1573-1579.
Leave a Reply