SPECTROCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF INORGANIC ELEMENTS IN BACTERIA

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Abstract
Quantitative spectrochemical analyses of inorganic elements in the vegetative cells of Escherichia coli, Sphaerotilus natans, Micrococcus roseus, Bacillus cereus, and the spores of B. cereus were made. The following elements were found to be present in the ash samples: B, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, S, Ag, Sn, Ba, Pb, V, and Mo. These could be divided into major, minor and trace elements, depending on the relative amounts in the cells. Mg, P, K and S were considered as the major elements; Ca, Fe, Zn, and, perhaps, Cu and Mn as the minor elements, and the rest as trace elements. Mg concentrations were higher in the cells of th gram-positive M. roseus and B. cereus than in the gram-negative E. coli and S. natans. The latter organism contained 2.6% Fe2O3(dry weight basis). The vegetative cells of B. cereus were higher in Mg, P, K, Na, Ag and lower in Si, Ca, Zn, Mn and Cu than were its spores.