The largest-known bacterium - a vermicelli-shaped organism that was discovered in shallow mangrove swamps in the Caribbean and is big enough to be seen with the naked eye - is redefining what is possible for bacteria, Earth's most ancient life form.
Scientists said on Thursday the bacterium, called Thiomargarita magnifica, is noteworthy not merely for its size - colossal for a single-celled organism at up to about eight-tenths of an inch long - but also because its internal architecture is unlike other bacteria.
A normal bacterial species measures 1-5 micrometers long. This species averages 10,000 micrometers long, with some Thiomargarita magnifica twice that length. Caribbean mangrove swamps are packed with organic matter, with microbes in the sediment degrading this matter and producing high concentrations of sulfur. The sulfur-rich environment offers an energy source for bacteria like Thiomargarita magnifica.
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