Metabolic Lifestyle

Metabolic Lifestyle of Streptococcus pneumoniae

(2) http://www.streppneumoniae.com/figure1.asp 

·      Streptococcus pneumoniae is a Chemoorganoheterotroph.

o   It ferments glucose into lactic acid using lactate as an electron acceptor (3).

·      It has an extracellular enzyme system which lets it metabolize polysaccharides and hexosamines (1).

Interesting Aspects of Streptococcus pneumoniae

http://textbookofbacteriology.net/S.pneumoniae.html

S. pneumoniae cultured on a blood agar plate (3).

S. pneumoniae does not make its own catalase, so it must be grown on a medium that includes catalase e.g. blood (3). Without catalase, the bacteria will produce too much hydrogen peroxide (3).

References 

(1) "Streptococcus pneumoniae." - MicrobeWiki. Ed. Kenyon College. Kenyon College, 29 Apr. 2011. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Streptococcus_pneumoniae>.

(2) "Streptococcus pneumoniae Metabolism." Streptococcus pneumoniae Metabolism. American Society for Microbiology, 2001. Web. 24 Oct. 2014. <http://www.streppneumoniae.com/figure1.asp>.

(3) Todar, Kenneth, PhD. "Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pneumococcal Pneumonia." Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pneumococcal Pneumonia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://textbookofbacteriology.net/S.pneumoniae.html>.