Abstract
THE sulphur bacteria belong to that remarkable group of autotrophic organisms, the members of which have adopted eccentric modes of metabolism in which unusual sources of energy are tapped. In their case it is the partial oxidation of sulphuretted hydrogen, or perhaps rather of the HS' ion, with formation of free sulphur. At the same time, carbonic acid is reduced and made available as a source of carbon compounds. Nitrogen can be assimilated from ammonium salts. These materials and some mineral salts are all that is required for the continued growth and well-being of the organisms. The group is confined to organisms which have sulphur globules in their cells. The further oxidation of this sulphur to sulphate, which undoubtedly occurs, has not been proved to be connected with the vital activity. of the cells. Sometimes the sulphur is excreted and undergoes oxidation outside the cell.
Sulphur Bacteria: a Monograph.
By D. Ellis. Pp. ix + 261. (London, New York and Toronto: Longmans, Green and Co., Ltd., 1932.) 21s. net.
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H., A. Sulphur Bacteria: a Monograph . Nature 130, 757 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/130757a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/130757a0