Rhodospirillaceae | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Pseudomonadota |
Class: | Alphaproteobacteria |
Order: | Rhodospirillales |
Family: | Rhodospirillaceae |
Genera[1][2][3] | |
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The Rhodospirillaceae are a family of Pseudomonadota. The majority are purple nonsulfur bacteria, producing energy through photosynthesis; originally all purple nonsulfur bacteria were included here.[4][5]
They are often found in anaerobic aquatic environments, such as mud and stagnant water, although they are able to survive in air.[4]
This family also includes Magnetospirillum, which contains tiny chains of magnetite.[4] These let it sense the Earth's magnetic field, which runs downwards as well as north or south, to return to the bottom of a pond (magnetotaxis). Similar magnetite chains found in Martian meteorites have been suggested as evidence of life on Mars.[6]