CHAPTER II. 

 BACTERIOLOGY. 



Bacteria (sing., bacterium) are low forms of life 

 that are generally conceded to belong to the vegetable 

 kingdom. They resemble the moulds in many ways; 

 in fact, one name for them is fission-moulds, a term 

 derived from the circumstance that multiplication of 

 the individual bacterium takes place by simple division 

 of the whole organism into two parts. They further 

 resemble the moulds in not possessing chlorophyl, the 

 green coloring matter by virtue of which in the pres- 

 ence of sunlight, plants are enabled to decompose 

 carbon dioxide and ammonia, and use their constituents 

 for food. 



The absence of chlorophyl in bacteria necessitates 

 some form of proteid as food, whence results the phenom- 

 enon of the lowest forms of life consuming the same 

 kinds of food as the higher animals. 



Bacteria live chiefly upon the remains of animals and 

 plants, to a lesser extent upon living forms of both 

 kingdoms. But whilst they share a common food 

 with animals, the disintegrations which they work in it 



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