Abstract

Rouf, M. A. (Washington State University, Pullman). Spectrochemical analysis of inorganic elements in bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 88:1545-1549. 1964.-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 the gram-positive M. roseus and B. cereus than in the gram-negative E. coli and S. natans. The latter organism contained 2.6% Fe(2)O(3) (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.