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Resource: used or used up in processes

Extracellular polysaccharides

Appears in 5 processs and 9 steps. Everything below is linked: open a process to see it in context.

Top processes

Bacteria and archaea

3 steps

Biofilms and quorum signalling in soil microcolonies

3 steps

Cells attach to a surface using pili, flagella and adhesins, then secrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS)
EPS retains water and buffers drying, so matrix-rich cells survive desiccation better
EPS and cells glue mineral particles into aggregates and raise aggregate stability

Occlusion in aggregates

1 step

Persistent binding by humic materials and polysaccharides

Soil protists: flagellates, amoebae and ciliates as selective bacterial grazers

1 step

Naked amoebae (Acanthamoeba, Naegleria) crawl over surfaces and graze attached bacteria and biofilm

Predatory bacteria: Bdellovibrio and Myxococcus hunting soil prey

1 step

Prey escape: capsules, biofilm matrix and mutations reduce predation and leave persistent prey

Often found with

Biofilm 6 Soil bacteria 4 Carbon 4 Soil aggregates 2 Water 2 Humus 1 Bacterial polysaccharides 1 Pseudomonas 1 Soil water 1 Mineral particles 1 Clay minerals 1 Naked amoebae 1

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