Introduction

• Usually, bacteria and fungi don’t contain chlorophyll so they can’t prepare their own food from inorganic source.
• Bacteria are saprophytic and parasitic both in nature.
• Bacteriochlorophyll i.e. totally differ from the plant chlorophyll. These types of bacteria are called autotrophic bacteria.

Nutritional Requirement:

1.Energy: They derive from carbohydrate by oxidation of complex carbon sources.

2.Nitrogen: they form ammonia, proteins, peptides from nitrogen and need nitrogen for the synthesis of various important constituent of cell like DNA, RNA and complex bacterial proteins.

3.Minerals: these are needed to form co enzymes, body cells etc. they derive these metallic elements like Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Mn, Fe, Zn, Co and trace elements from organic complexes. Most of the bacteria are halophytic in nature.

4.Vitamins: they’re required for the promotion of physical growth. Generally, Niacin and Vit. B-Complex is used by them but bacteria like E. coli don’t need vitamins.