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Chromatium (chrome-ace-ee-um) is a red sulphur bacterium (or purple sulphur bacterium). It is found in sediments above the reduced zone. It uses solar energy to assist in the oxidation of hydrogen sulphide producing elemental sulphur which is deposited within the bacterial cell as sulphur granules. Photosynthetic pigments are pink which give the cell its distinctive colour. It is one of a variety of bacteria which metabolise sulphur compounds and deposit sulphur granules within the cells - both red (such as Thiocystis), and colourless (such as Beggiatoa, Achromatium, Thiovulvum, and others). Not all Chromatium are as large as this cell. Phase contrast.
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Chromatium (chrome-ace-ee-um) and Thiocystis (thigh-o-cyst-is) - red sulphur bacteria (or purple sulphur bacteria). They are found in sediments above the reduced zone. Both use solar energy to assist in the oxidation of hydrogen sulphide producing elemental sulphur which is deposited within the bacterial cell as sulphur granules. Photosynthetic pigments are pink which give the cells their colour. Chromatium are the larger spherical and elongate cells with larger sulphur granules, Thiocystis are smaller are not easy to distinguish from the detritus. Differential Interference Contrast.
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Achromatium oxaliferum (Schewiakoff 1893), a large colorless sulpher bacterium from bottom sediments of a stagnant freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Brightfield.
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Achromatium oxaliferum (Schewiakoff 1893), a large colorless sulpher bacterium. The larger refractile spherical structures are calcite spherolites and the small globules adhering to them are granules of elemental sulphur. Collected from bottom sediments of a stagnant freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho.
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Achromatium oxaliferum (Schewiakoff 1893), a large colorless sulpher bacterium from bottom sediments of a stagnant freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC.
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Portrait of the colorless sulfur bacterium Beggiatoa alba (VAUCHER, 1803) TREVISAN, 1845.
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Thiocystis (thigh-owe-cyst-is) is a red sulphur bacterium (or purple sulphur bacterium). It is found in sediments above the reduced zone. It oxidizes hydrogen sulphide producing elemental sulphur which is deposited within the bacterial cell as granules of sulphur. Forms aggregates and individual cells are often hard to distinguish. The cellular nature of these aggregates is hard to determine at first glance. This detail shows that the mass is made of individual cells and the cells have granular inclusions. Phase contrast.
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Thiocystis (thigh-owe-cyst-is) is a red sulphur bacterium (or purple sulphur bacterium). It is found in sediments above the reduced zone. It oxidizes hydrogen sulphide producing elemental sulphur which is deposited within the bacterial cell as granules of sulphur. Forms aggregates and individual cells are often hard to distinguish. Phase contrast.
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Thiospirillum (thigh-ow-spire-ill-um) is one of the sulphur bacterium. Rather like Spirillum, cells take the form of short-cork-screw and have flagella at both ends of the cells. The flagella occur in very substantial tufts so can be seen easily seen with the light microscope. This cell was rather large. Phase contrast.
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Achromatium (a-chrome-ace-ee-um) one of the larger bacteria, relatively common, and usually distinguished by the presence of large sulphur deposits inside the cell. Phase contrast.
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Achromatium (a-chrome-ace-ee-um) is one of the non-photosynthetic sulphur bacteria. It is a heterotrophic bacterium which relies on a supply of organic matter to assist the degradation of reduced sulphur to elemental sulphur - which is then deposited as slightly pink granules inside the cell. Large (for a bacterium). Differential interference contrast.
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This picture compares Achromatium (a-chrome-ace-ee-um) (right) - a heterotrophic sulphur bacterium, from the red or purple sulphur bacterium, Chromatium. Differential interference contrast.
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Beggiatoa (beg-ee-a-toe-a) is a colourless sulphur bacterium which occurs as filaments of various widths. Beggiatoa is found in sediments above the reduced zone. It oxidizes hydrogen sulphide, producing elemental sulphur which is deposited within the bacterial cell as sulphur granules and give this filament its opaque appearance. Very long. These cells can glide, a good trait for organisms which live in a habitat the characteristics of which are changing depending on whether there is or is not overlying water or if or if not there is sunlight. Phase contrast.
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Beggiatoa (beg-ee-a-toe-a), commonly seen on the surface of very rich sediments - such as those of salt marshes. The bacteria metabolise reduced hydrogen sulphide and produce granules of sulphur as a by product. They can be seen as refractile elements within the cells which make up this filament. Phase contrast.
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Beggiatoa (beg-ee-a-toe-a), commonly seen on the surface of very rich sediments - such as those of salt marshes. The bacteria metabolise reduced hydrogen sulphide and produce granules of sulphur as a by product. They can be seen within the cells which make up this filament. Differential interference contrast.
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Beggiatoa (beg-ee-a-toe-a) is a colourless sulphur bacterium which occurs as filaments of various widths. Beggiatoa is found in sediments above the reduced zone. It oxidizes hydrogen sulphide, producing elemental sulphur which is deposited within the bacterial cell as sulphur granules and give this filament its opaque appearance. Layers of Beggiatoa are often seen on the surface of muds or other places where there is a lot of decaying organic matter (around dead dogs is a good place) and looks like white tissue paper lying over the sediment. These cells can glide, a good trait for organisms which live in a habitat the characteristics of which are changing depending on whether there is or is not overlying water or if or if not there is sunlight. Phase contrast.
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Beggiatoa (beg-ee-a-toe-a) is a colourless sulphur bacterium which occurs as filaments of various widths. Beggiatoa is found in sediments above the reduced zone. It oxidizes hydrogen sulphide, producing elemental sulphur which is deposited within the bacterial cell as sulphur granules. In this delicate filament, the individual sulphur grains can be seen as pink refractile inclusions. Phase contrast.
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Beggiatoa (beg-ee-a-toe-a) is a colourless sulphur bacterium which occurs as filaments of various widths. Beggiatoa is found in sediments above the reduced zone. It oxidizes hydrogen sulphide, producing elemental sulphur which is deposited within the bacterial cell as sulphur granules visible inside this filament . May be very long. These cells can glide, a good trait for organisms which live in a habitat the characteristics of which are changing depending on whether there is or is not overlying water or if or if not there is sunlight. They don t usually make these cute spirals. Differential interference contrast.