Purple Jellydisc - Ascocoryne sarcoides
Beautiful reddish purple fruiting bodies that were 0.5-1.5 cm wide. Some were flat and disc-shaped, while others were cup-shaped.
Habitat: Growing on a very rotten log in a mixed forest.
Notes: This fungus contains the bioactive, antibiotic compound ascocorynin, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of several Gram-positive bacteria.
"Ascocoryne sarcoides" is a species of fungus in the Helotiaceae family. Formerly known as "Coryne sarcoides", its taxonomical history has been complicated by the fact that it may adopt both sexual and asexual forms. Colloquially known as jelly drops or the purple jellydisc, this common fungus appears as a gelatinous mass of pinkish or purple-colored discs.
Similar species: Helotiales
By Christine Young
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Uploaded Jan 3, 2019. Captured Nov 19, 2017 13:06 in 5 East St, New Milford, CT 06776, USA.
comments (4)
But, I define it like this: gram-positive and gram-negative are terms that scientists use to classify bacteria. To determine if a bacteria is + or -, a scientist does a test called a Gram Stain. If the bacteria is positive, it will stain purple. If it's negative, it will stain pink. The difference in color from staining occurs because gram-positive bacteria can take up the stain and thus appear purple. But, gram-negative bacteria can't retain the stain because their cell walls are porous, and so they look pink.
This matters because gram-positive bacteria tend to be more receptive to antibiotics, while gram-negative bacteria are not. Gram-negative bacteria tend to be more pathogenic and include E. coli and cholera. Since they are resistant to antibiotics, they are more difficult to eradicate. Interestingly, the cell walls of gram-positive bacteria are thicker, but they tend to be more receptive to antibiotics. Plus, I think that there are more beneficial gram-positive bacteria out there, such as many probiotics; but, some are still very bad, like Clostridium.
Posted 6 years ago