Flagella, Gas Vacuoles and Cell-wall Structure in Halobacterium halobium; an Electron Microscope Study

Abstract

SUMMARY: A droplet of a suspension of Halobacterium halobium in a concentrated brine when left to dry on a collodion-covered grid yields a useful preparation for electron microscopy. Two strains, one red and one pink, were examined. Both strains have polar tufts of flagella. The cell wall contains a single layer of hexagonally arranged globular particles. Halobacterium halobium has these characteristics in common with Spirillum spp., but unlike the true Spirillum spp. it is rod-shaped.