The Reproduction of Aerobic Bacteria

Abstract

Although true meningococci are represented in serum 1, as shown by the high agglutination figure reached with serum 1 in the case of subculture 8, it appears that the antigenic value of strain 1, as represented in serum 1, finds its chief expression in “giant” forms, the morphological equivalent of films 3, 14, 17, 23, 31 A, from the subcultures which give the highest readings with serum 1 (except 8), being mainly that of “giant” forms in various stages of development. As I showed in 1916 “giant” forms may be either large, small or intermediate in size, and can at once be distinguished from true meningococci on the warm-stage by the fact that they often multiply by unequal binary fission, and by the further fact that they often undergo in addition endo-chromatinolysis, giving rise directly to meningococci which then divide in the ordinary vegetative manner. These fertile “giant” forms are readily distinguishable form forms undergoing genuine involutionary changes, both by the sterility of the latter when observed on the warm stage and by their feebly-staining properties.