Do microbes have hair?
Similar to humans, many microbes have hair of different shapes and lengths. Some microbial species have only a few hairs, others are completely hairy, and still others are bald.
In contrast to human hair, which consists of dead cells (horn) and thus forms a cell appendage, microbial hair consists of cell extensions. These are protrusions of the cell and therefore important components of the microbe. They consist of proteins and fulfil different functions depending on their length and size: Flagella are thin, usually very long hairs, usually on one side of the microbe. They enable the microbes to actively move around. Fimbriae are generally thinner and shorter; there are often thousands of them distributed over the entire cell surface. The microbe can use them to attach itself to surfaces or other cells. With the help of the pili, of which there are often only one or two per cell, microbes come into contact with each other and exchange important substances such as genetic material.
This type of hairiness therefore offers some advantages for microbes. However, viruses can also dock onto the microbes via these structures and make them ill - so "baldness" does have its advantages.
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© Text and figure Daniela Langfeldt / VAAM, dlangfeldt[at]ifam.uni-kiel.de, use according to CC 4.0
