sulfur bacteria

plural noun

1. several species of bacteria, especially of the genera Beggiatoa and Thiobacillus, that have the ability to utilize sulfur or inorganic sulfur compounds as an energy source.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sulfur bacteria¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

"We wanted to know more about the role these different sulfur bacteria play in the nitrogen cycle."

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And it hints at another potential instance of naturally emerging quantum biology: Green sulfur bacteria reside in the deep ocean where the scarcity of life-giving light might even spur quantum-mechanical evolutionary adaptations to boost photosynthesis.

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Dr. Schopf and his colleagues then compared the specimens with modern communities of sulfur bacteria found off the coast of Chile in 2007.

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Sulfate-reducing bacteria actually eat sulfur and make hydrogen sulfide gas, which is eaten by the green and purple sulfur bacteria.

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