[The development of a Proteus mirabilis macrocolony on a solid nutrient medium].

As revealed in this study, the macrocolony of Proteus mirabilis, formed on solid culture medium, may consist both of the main part and of sporadically appearing dissociating subcolonies, considerably differing one from another. The outer edge of the main part of the macrocolony of swarming cells is represented by bacteria located in three perpendicular directions. The next intermediate area consisting of two layers is represented by bacteria oriented, as a rule, in one direction. The center of the colony is made up of short microbial cells. Between the upper layer and the surface of agar an original subpopulation of microbial cells, forming a separate layer, has been detected; together they determine the planar sandwich-like architectonics of the macrocolony.