Question

Compare bacterial motility mechanisms using flagella versus pili. What type of environment do each of these motility mechanisms work best in? Why?

Answer 1

Question

Both flagella and pili are used for bacterial locomotion. There are some similarities between the two but there are differences too. The differences are:

I. Flagella are helical in shape and pili are non-helical in structure.

II. Flagella is found in both gram positive bacteria but pili are found only in the gram negative bacteria.

III. Flagella originate from cell membrame and pili originate from cell wall.

IV. Flagella are more rigid as compare to pili.

V. Flagella are more in number as compare to pili.

VI. Flagella show "wave like motion" whereas pili show "twitching mobility".

VII. Flgella have motor system present that help in the movement and pili do not have motor system.

Flagella arw mostly used in liquid environment whereas pili are worked in solid surface because they are able to stick to the surface more easily than the flagella.