Carbon Assimilation and Respiration 



9 



These observations seem to indicate that the blood of athreptic 

 infants may show the presence of reaction bodies to cow's milk 

 both by the presence of a precipitine to cow's milk protein and 

 by the fact that the blood of the infant can passively sensitize 

 guinea pigs to cow's milk. 



Whether the presence of these reaction bodies bears a causative 

 relation to the clinical condition we do not feel in a position 

 to discuss with assurance at the present time. That this may be 

 true seems quite possible and is in accord with many clinical 

 observations. On the other hand, the presence in the blood of 

 athreptic infants of reaction bodies to cow's milk protein may be 

 due merely to the fact that the intestinal tract of such infants 

 has permitted the passage of cow's milk protein into the blood 

 stream, thereby causing antibody formation, and may not be 

 of etiological importance. Observations are being conducted 

 at present which may throw some light on this question. 



3 (1963) 



Carbon assimilation and respiration of autotrophic bacteria 1 

 By SELMAN A. WAKSMAN and ROBERT L. STARKEY 



[From the Department of Soil Chemistry and Bacteriology, New 

 Jersey Agricultural Experiment Stations, New Brunswick, N. J.] 



The autotrophic bacteria, or those bacteria which are capable 

 of assimilating carbon dioxide chemosynthetically utilizing for 

 that purpose the energy obtained from the oxidation of simple 

 inorganic substances, range from obligate to facultative forms. 

 In other words they range from those which are capable of 

 obtaining their energy only from the oxidation of specific in- 

 organic substances but from no other source to those that can 

 exist autotrophically and heterotrophically ; the latter can obtain 

 their energy both from inorganic sources and, lacking these, 

 also from the oxidation of organic compounds. The nitrite, 

 nitrate and certain sulfur bacteria are the only strict autotrophic 

 forms, while all the others, including various sulfur bacteria, 



1 Paper No. 109 of the Journal Series of the New Jersey Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Stations, Department of Soil Chemistry and Bacteriology. 



