Rapid Changes in Bacteria Following Introduction into Hypertonic Media

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Abstract
The rapid osmotic dehydration of S. marcescens produced when an aqueous suspension of the organisms was rapidly and efficiently mixed with solutions of sodium chloride was followed from 2.0-3.0 milliseconds after mixing by the change in light scattering of the suspension. After a small decrease the light scattering rose to a maximum which depended on the concentration of sodium chloride. The increase in light scattering was associated with the shrinking of the bacteria during osmotic dehydration. When the bacteria were introduced into a solution of a permeating solute, urea, there was an initial increase in the light scattering followed by a decrease to a value almost equal to that produced by the suspension in water. These changes are probably due to the initial shrinking of the bacteria due to osmotic dehydration followed by swelling to the original volume as urea and water enter the cells.

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