Halobacterium

views updated

Halobacterium (family Halobacteriaceae) A genus of bacteria that require the presence of salt for survival and growth; in the absence of salt the cells may disintegrate. Some strains can carry out a unique type of energy-yielding process, obtaining energy directly from sunlight in a non-photosynthetic process which involves a specialized region of the cell membrane called the ‘purple membrane’.

More From encyclopedia.com