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THIOMARGARITA NAMIBIENSIS
Thiomargarita namibiensis ("Sulfur pearl of Namibia") is the largest bacterium ever discovered, with a width up to 750 μm (0.75 mm) [1], making it easily visible to the naked eye.
The key to the new microbe's large size, and to its life, is a huge fluid-filled sac, or vacuole, that takes up about 98 percent of the bacterium's interior. Within this vacuole, the bacterium stores large quantities of nitrate, which it uses to oxidize sulfur and garner energy. The amount of nitrate in the bacteria's surroundings fluctuates considerably, so the vacuoles enable the microbes to endure months of lean times.
The species was discovered by Heide N. Shulz and others in 1999, on the continental shelf off of Namibia. The previously largest known bacterium was Epulopiscium fishelsoni, at 0.5 mm long.[2]
There are no other species in the genus.
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