Question

Thiomargarita namibiensis is found in-
(a) Coast of Namibia
(b) Coast of Kenya
(c) Coast of India
(d) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: It is also called the Sulphur pearl. It is the largest bacteria on the earth. From the Kunene River south to the Swakop River, the Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the Atlantic coast and south of Angola, although sometimes the term is used to characterise the entire coast of the Namib Desert.

Complete step by step answer:
The most recently discovered bacteria is Thiomargarita namibiensis. In the ocean sediments, this bacteria is found. This is the largest bacteria to have been identified. The bacteria are between 100 - 300 microns in size. You can observe the bacterial cells with your naked eye. Coccoid cells are bacterial cells and are organised in chains. It is a proteobacterium that is big enough for the naked eyes to be visible. The largest bacterium was first discovered on Namibia's coast.
"Thiomargarita means" pearl of sulphur. This refers to the appearance of the cells; they contain granules of microscopic sulphur that disperse incident light, lending a pearly lustre to the cell. Their cellular division tends to occur along a single axis, like many coccoid bacteria such as Streptococcus, causing their cells to form chains, rather like pearl strings. "The name of the species namibiensis means" of Namibia.
So, the correct answer is ‘Coast of Namibia’.

Additional information: In the coast of Kenya, we can find cyanobacteria and they are UV resistant. And on the coast of India, we can find Proteobacteria.

Note: In the oxygen-poor yet nutrient-rich sediment, Thiomargarita namibiensis has an ecological niche and can thrive in this environment that is harmful to most animal life because of high levels of hydrogen sulphide. Thiomargarita photographed a single cell next to a fruit fly.