Question

It has been said that the plants as well as some of the bacteria are autotrophs . Did the bacteria also contain chlorophyll ? If not then how can they be autotrophs

Answer 1

• Bacteria do not have chlorophyll.

• Bacteria have different modes of nutrition. They are classified as autotrophic bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria.

• Autotrophic Bacteria can synthesize their own food from inorganic substances.For this process they obtain carbon from carbon di oxide and hydrogen from hydrogen sulphide or ammonia or hydrogen. Autotrophic bacteria are of two types.

1. Photoautotrophic Bacteria possess photosynthetic pigments in thylakoids and use sun light. Water is not used as a hydrogen donor in this process. So, oxygen cannot be released as a byproduct. That is why it is different from plant photosynthesis.

2. Chemosynthetic Bacteria manufacture organic compounds from inorganic raw materials utilizing energy liberated from the oxidation of inorganic substances.