Nitrospira is a genus of bacteria in the phylum Nitrospirae

Nitrospirae

Nitrospira is a genus of bacteria in the phylum Nitrospirae. The first member of this genus was described 1986 by Watson et al. isolated from the Gulf of Maine. The bacterium was named Nitrospira marina. The second member of this genus was discovered in 1995 from a corroded iron pipe in a Moscow...

. The first member of this genus was described 1986 by Watson et al. isolated from the Gulf of Maine. The bacterium was named Nitrospira marina. The second member of this genus was discovered in 1995 from a corroded iron pipe in a Moscow heating system. The bacterium was named Nitrospira moscoviensis and is a gram-negative

Gram-negative

Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain crystal violet dye in the Gram staining protocol. In a Gram stain test, a counterstain is added after the crystal violet, coloring all Gram-negative bacteria with a red or pink color...

 nitrite

Nitrite

The nitrite ion has the chemical formula NO2−. The anion is symmetric with equal N-O bond lengths and a O-N-O bond angle of ca. 120°. On protonation the unstable weak acid nitrous acid is produced. Nitrite can be oxidised or reduced, with product somewhat dependent on the oxidizing/reducing agent...

-oxidising organism with a helical to vibroid morphology 0.9-2.2 x 0.2-0.4 micrometre

Micrometre

A micrometer , is by definition 1×10-6 of a meter .In plain English, it means one-millionth of a meter . Its unit symbol in the International System of Units is μm...

s in size. The phylum Nitrospirae includes thermophilic

Thermophile

A thermophile is an organism — a type of extremophile — that thrives at relatively high temperatures, between 45 and 122  °C . Many thermophiles are archaea...

bacteria that fix nitrogen to nitrogen gas (N₂).

External links

• MicrobeWiki -- Nitrospira